
Yttrium element (Y) is in group 3 and period 5 of a periodic table. Yttrium is in the d-block and it is classified as a transition element on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to yttrium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Yttrium element (Information Table)
- Yttrium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Yttrium
- Properties of Yttrium
- Uses of Yttrium
Yttrium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to yttrium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of yttrium | Silvery white metallic appearance |
Atomic number of yttrium | 39 |
Symbol of yttrium | Y |
Atomic mass of yttrium | 88.906 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in yttrium | Protons: 39, Neutrons: 50, Electrons: 39 |
State of yttrium (at STP) | Solid |
Group number of yttrium in periodic table | 3 |
Period number of yttrium in periodic table | 5 |
Block of yttrium in periodic table | d-block |
Category of yttrium | Transition metals |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in yttrium | 2, 8, 18, 9, 2 |
Electron configuration of yttrium | [Kr] 4d1 5s2 |
Orbital diagram of yttrium | ![]() |
Electronegativity of yttrium (on pauling scale) | 1.22 |
Atomic radius of yttrium (van der Waals radius) | 219 picometers |
Density of yttrium | 4.472 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of yttrium | 6.217 eV |
Main isotope of yttrium | 89Y |
Melting point of yttrium | 1799 K or 1526 °C or 2779 °F |
Boiling point of yttrium | 3203 K or 2930 °C or 5306 °F |
Crystal structure of yttrium | Hexagonal Close Packing (HCP) |
Discovery of yttrium | By Johan Gadolin in 1794 |
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).
Yttrium element in Periodic table
The Yttrium element (Y) has the atomic number 39 and is located in group 3 and period 5. Yttrium is a metal and it is classified as a transition 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 yttrium
Here are a few interesting facts about yttrium element.
- Yttrium was given its name from “Ytterby”, which is a small town in Sweden.
- Out of all the rare earth metals, the yttrium was discovered first.
- The concentration of yttrium in the earth’s crust is approximately 31 ppm.
- Yttrium is the 28th most abundant element present in the earth’s crust.
- Yttrium is always found as a compound with other elements in the earth’s crust.
- China, Russia, India, Malaysia and Australia are the leading producers of yttrium.
Properties of yttrium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of yttrium.
Physical properties of yttrium
- Yttrium is solid metal having a silvery white metallic appearance.
- Out of all the isotopes of yttrium, the stable isotope is 89Y.
- Yttrium has an atomic mass 88.906 u and its density is 4.472 g/cm3.
- The melting point and boiling point of the yttrium metal is 1799 K and 3203 K respectively.
Chemical properties of yttrium
- Yttrium forms a thin oxide layer in the air and this layer prevents it from further oxidation.
- When yttrium reacts with water, it forms yttrium hydroxide and it liberates hydrogen gas during this reaction.
- If the powdered form of yttrium is heated in air, then it will ignite easily.
Uses of yttrium
Here are some uses of the yttrium element.
- Yttrium is largely used in ceramic industries.
- In old color TVs, the yttrium element was used to get the red color on the screen.
- Yttrium is also used as an alloying element with other metals, which gives improved properties like resistance to oxidation, resistance to corrosion, etc.
- Yttrium is also used in making camera lenses, computer screens, etc.
- Nd:YAG lasers contain yttrium element. Yttrium is used to amplify the laser light.
- Yttrium is also present in YBCO (yttrium barium copper oxide), which is a high temperature superconductor.
- Liver cancers can also be treated with the use of radioactive isotope of yttrium (i.e 90Y).
- Yttrium is also used as a catalyst in polymerization of ethylene.
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