Erbium
Erbium (铒, symbol Er) is chemical element number 68, a Lanthanide in period 6 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 167.26. Silvery rare earth. Used in fiber-optic amplifiers and nuclear technology.
Properties
| Atomic number | 68 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Er |
| Atomic mass | 167.26 u |
| Category | Lanthanide |
| Period | 6 |
| Group | — |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f¹² 6s² |
| Electronegativity | 1.24 |
| Covalent radius | 189 pm |
| Density | 9.066 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 1802 K |
| Boiling point | 3141 K |
| Discovery | Carl Gustaf Mosander, 1843 |
Overview
Silvery rare earth. Used in fiber-optic amplifiers and nuclear technology. Erbium (symbol Er) is chemical element number 68, sitting in period 6 of the periodic table and classed as a Lanthanide. As a lanthanide (rare-earth) element it closely resembles its neighbours and serves in magnets, phosphors and catalysts.
Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f¹² 6s², with 2 electrons in the outer shell, and an electronegativity of about 1.24 (Pauling). Around 25 °C it is usually a solid; it melts near 1802 K (1528.9 °C), boils near 3141 K (2867.9 °C), has a density around 9.066 g/cm³.
In industry and daily life it turns up in Electronics / Semiconductors and Research. It was first described by Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1843. Use the comparison tool to line it up against other elements.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 30 · 8 · 2
Main uses
- Electronics / Semiconductors
- Research
Hazard
Compounds containing Erbium
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Erbium yet.
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.