The Element Lutetium


Lutetium falls under the rare earth group and is the heaviest member in the group. It is a silvery white rare metal which has radioactive isotopes. Lutetium is also known as a corrosion-resistant trivalent metal that is relatively stable in air. It is usually found together with all other rare elements and never on its own.

Since obtaining lutetium in useful quantities is a very expensive process, it has only a very few commercial uses. Yet again, stable lutetium is used as a catalyst in petroleum cracking in refineries. It can also be used in alkylation, hydrogenation, and polymerization applications.

Atomic Number & Chemical Properties


Element Basics:

Chemical Symbol: Lu
Atomic Number: 71
Atomic Weight: 174.967
Element Classification: Rare Earth Element (Lanthanide Series)
Discovered By: Georges Urbain
Date of Discovery: 1907 (France)
Origin of Name: Named for the ancient name of Paris, Lutecia.

How to Recognize it at a Party:

Silvery-white, hard, dense, rare-earth metal

Seriously Atomic Information:

Density (g/cc): 9.8404
Melting Point (°K): 1936
Boiling Point (°K): 3668
Atomic Radius (pm): 175
Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 17.8
Covalent Radius (pm): 156
Ionic Radius: 85 (+3e)
Pauling Negativity Number: 1.27
First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 513
Oxidation States: 3
Electronic Configuration: [Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2

Getting Intimate with Lutetium:

Lattice Structure: Hexagonal (HEX)
Lattice Constant (Å): 3.510
Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.585
Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): 0.155
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): n/a
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 414
Thermal Conductivity (@25°C W/m K):
Debye Temperature (°K): n/a


Society's Questions About Lutetium:

Have you ever wondered what everyone else in the world thinks about Lutetium? Is anyone else looking for it too? If so, why? What do they want?

The following list shows the most common online questions about the element Lutetium. Are your questions the same or different from everyone else's?

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