
Promethium element (Pm) is in period 6 of a periodic table. Promethium is in the f-block and it is classified as a lanthanide on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to promethium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Promethium element (Information Table)
- Promethium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Promethium
- Properties of Promethium
- Uses of Promethium
Promethium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to promethium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of promethium | Metallic appearance |
Atomic number of promethium | 61 |
Symbol of promethium | Pm |
Atomic mass of promethium (most stable isotope) | 145 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in promethium | Protons: 61, Neutrons: 84, Electrons: 61 |
State of promethium (at STP) | Solid |
Period number of promethium in periodic table | 6 |
Block of promethium in periodic table | f-block |
Category of promethium | Inner transition metals |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in promethium | 2, 8, 18, 23, 8, 2 |
Electron configuration of promethium | [Xe] 4f5 6s2 |
Orbital diagram of promethium | ![]() |
Atomic radius of promethium (van der Waals radius) | 236 picometers |
Density of promethium | 7.26 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of promethium | 5.55 eV |
Main isotope of promethium | 145Pm and 147Pm |
Melting point of promethium | 1315 K or 1042 °C or 1908 °F |
Boiling point of promethium | 3273 K or 3000 °C or 5432 °F |
Crystal structure of promethium | Double Hexagonal Close Packing (DHCP) |
Discovery of promethium | By Lawrence Glendenin, Jacob Marinsky, Charles Coryell (in 1945) |
Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).
Promethium element in Periodic table
The Promethium element (Pm) has the atomic number 61 and is located in period 6. Promethium is a metal and it is classified as a lanthanide group element.
H | He | ||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr |
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe |
Cs | Ba | La* | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
Fr | Ra | Ac** | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | Cn | Nh | Fl | Mc | Lv | Ts | Og |
*Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | ||||
**Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr |
Facts about promethium
Here are a few interesting facts about the promethium element.
- Lawrence Glendenin, Jacob Marinsky and Charles Coryell discovered promethium in 1945.
- Charles Coryell’s wife had suggested the name “promethium” for this element.
- If we talk about the discovery of only rare earth metals, then promethium was the last discovered rare earth metal.
- Promethium is usually obtained from uranium fission reactions.
Properties of promethium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of promethium.
Physical properties of promethium
- Promethium has a silvery gray metallic appearance.
- The salts of promethium glow with a bluish or greenish light in the dark.
- There are two naturally occurring isotopes of promethium and they are 145Pm and 147Pm. These isotopes are very rare in quantity.
- Promethium has a DHCP (double hexagonal close packed) crystal structure.
- The melting point and boiling point of promethium is 1315 K and 3273 K respectively.
Chemical properties of promethium
- The isotopes of promethium undergo beta-decay and they are radioactive isotopes.
- Promethium has many oxidation states, but the most common oxidation state is +3.
- Promethium has an electron configuration of [Xe] 6s2 4f5 and it is classified as a f-block element on the periodic table because of the last electron entering in the f-orbitals.
Uses of promethium
Here are some uses of the promethium element.
- Promethium is available in very rare quantities and it is generally used for research work in chemistry.
- Promethium can be used in medical devices.
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