39Y88.906
Yttrium
Transition metalsHard, shiny metals that conduct heat and electricity well and often form coloured compounds.
[Kr] 4d¹ 5s²
- Atomic number
- 39
- Atomic mass
- 88.906
- Protons
- 39
- Neutrons
- 50 (most common)
- Electrons
- 39
- Shells
- 2, 8, 18, 9, 2
- State at 25 °C
- Solid
- Position
- Group 3, period 5
Proton (+)Neutron (0)Electron (−)
Discovered byJohan Gadolin, 1794Johan Gadolin: 1 element
Gadolin analysed a black rock from Ytterby, a village in Sweden. That one quarry gave names to four elements: yttrium, ytterbium, terbium and erbium.
Did you know?
- Four elements are named after the same Swedish village.
- Old colour TVs used yttrium to make red.
Where it's found
- Rare-earth minerals
- Monazite sands of Kerala
What it's used for
- LEDs
- Lasers
- Superconductors
Try it
There's no safe home experiment for Yttrium. Explore it with the animated atom above instead.