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It's Elemental - The Element Gadolinium
<!doctype html> <html lang="en-US"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <meta name="keywords" content="Gadolinium,elements,the element Gadolinium,element Gadolinium,elemental Gadolinium,uses of Gadolinium,history of Gadolinium,information about Gadolinium,table of elements,periodic table of elements,periodical table of elements"> <meta name="description" content="The Element Gadolinium - Basic Physical and Historical Information"> <meta name="robots" content="index,all"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/main_2020.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/font-awesome.min.css"> <!-- icon library for hamburger menu and magnifying glass --> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/itselemental_2020.css"> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-3SJLGKR77H"></script><script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-3SJLGKR77H');</script> <!-- load html5shiv if using an old IE --> <!-- this should be loaded after stylesheets --> <!--[if lt IE 9]> <script src="/js/html5shiv.js"></script> <![endif]--> <title>It's Elemental - The Element Gadolinium</title> </head> <body> <!-- top navigation start --> <div class="topnav" id="myTopnav"> <a href="/index.html" title="JLab Science Education Home"><img src="/g/scied_logo_sm.png" width="149" height="80" alt="Science Education Home"></a> <a href="/index.html" title="JLab Science Education Home">Home</a> <a href="/indexpages/teachers.html" title="Teacher Tools">Teachers</a> <a href="/indexpages/" title="Student Zone">Students</a> <a href="/indexpages/elementgames.html" title="Games and Puzzles">Games</a> <a href="/indexpages/science_videos.html" title="Science Videos">Videos</a> <a href="/solquiz/" title="Virginia Standards of Learning Practice Tests">VA SOL</a> <a href="/indexpages/program.html" title="Programs and Events">Programs</a> <div class="search-container"> <form action="/search/"> <input type="text" placeholder="Search..." name="q"> <button type="submit"><i class="fa fa-search"></i></button> </form> </div> <a href="javascript:void(0);" class="icon" title="Menu" onclick="navToggle();"> <i class="fa fa-bars"></i> </a> </div> <!-- top navigation end --> <!-- 'main' section start --> <main> <div class="content"> <h1 class="page-header">It's Elemental</h1> <!-- begin element navigation --> <!-- desktop size --> <div class="row element-nav regular"> <p class="left"> <a href="ele063.html"><img src="larr.gif" alt="Europium"></a> </p> <p class="left"> <a href="ele063.html">Previous Element<br><span class="nav-name">(Europium)</span></a> </p> <p> <a href="/itselemental/">The Periodic Table of Elements</a> </p> <p class="right"> <a href="ele065.html"><img src="rarr.gif" alt="Terbium"></a> </p> <p class="right"> <a href="ele065.html">Next Element<br><span class="nav-name">(Terbium)</span></a> </p> </div> <!-- phone size --> <div class="element-nav smallest"> <a href="index.html">The Table of Elements</a> </div> <!-- ^^ end element navigation ^^ --> <!-- begin inter-element navigation --> <!-- desktop size --> <div class="regular"> <h2 class="subtitle">The Element Gadolinium</h2> <p class="other-data">[<a href="iso064.html">Click for Isotope Data</a>]</p> </div> <!-- phone size --> <div class="smallest"> <h2 class="subtitle">Gadolinium</h2> <div class="extra-navigation">| <a href="ele063.html">Previous</a> | <a href="iso064.html">Isotopes</a> | <a href="ele065.html">Next</a> |</div> </div> <!-- ^^ end inter-element navigation ^^ --> <!-- begin element data --> <div class="element-data"> <svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="0 0 52 62" class="specific-element"> <rect x="1" y="1" width="50" height="60" class="element-specific-box solid" /> <text x="3.5" y="11" class="atomic-number-specific">64</text> <text x="26" y="36" class="chemical-symbol-specific">Gd</text> <text x="26" y="50" class="chemical-name-specific">Gadolinium</text> <text x="26" y="58.5" class="atomic-weight-specific">157.25</text> </svg> <p><span class="section-title">Atomic Number</span>: 64</p> <p><span class="section-title">Atomic Weight</span>: 157.25</p> <p><span class="section-title">Melting Point</span>: 1586 K (1313°C or 2395°F)</p> <p><span class="section-title">Boiling Point</span>: 3546 K (3273°C or 5923°F)</p> <p><span class="section-title">Density</span>: 7.90 grams per cubic centimeter</p> <p><span class="section-title">Phase at Room Temperature</span>: Solid</p> <p><span class="section-title">Element Classification</span>: Metal</p> <p><span class="section-title">Period Number</span>: 6</p> <p><span class="section-title">Group Number</span>: none</p> <p><span class="section-title">Group Name</span>: Lanthanide</p> <p><span class="section-title">What's in a name?</span> Named for the mineral <strong>gadolinite</strong> which was named after Johan Gadolin, a Finnish chemist.</p> <p><span class="section-title">Say what?</span> Gadolinium is pronounced as <strong>GAD-oh-LIN-ee-em</strong>.</p> <p><span class="section-title">History and Uses</span>:</p> <div class="element-history"> <p>Spectroscopic evidence for the existence of gadolinium was first observed by the Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in the minerals didymia and gadolinite ((Ce, La, Nd, Y)<sub>2</sub>FeBe<sub>2</sub>Si<sub>2</sub>O<sub>10</sub>) in 1880. Today, gadolinium is primarily obtained from the minerals monazite ((Ce, La, Th, Nd, Y)PO<sub>4</sub>) and bastnasite ((Ce,La,Y)CO<sub>3</sub>F).</p><p>Gadolinium has the greatest ability to capture thermal <a href="/glossary/neutron.html">neutrons</a> of all known elements and can be used as control rods for nuclear reactors. Unfortunately, the two <a href="/glossary/isotope.html">isotopes</a> best suited for neutron capture, gadolinium-155 and gadolinium-157, are present in gadolinium in small amounts. As a result, gadolinium control rods quickly lose their effectiveness.</p><p>Gadolinium can be combined with <a href="ele039.html">yttrium</a> to form garnets that have applications in microwave technology. Gadolinium can be alloyed with <a href="ele026.html">iron</a>, <a href="ele024.html">chromium</a> and other metals to improve their workability and their resistance to high temperatures and oxidation. Gadolinium compounds are used to make phosphors for color televisions.</p> </div> <p><span class="section-title">Estimated Crustal Abundance</span>: 6.2 milligrams per kilogram</p> <p><span class="section-title">Estimated Oceanic Abundance</span>: 7×10<sup>-7</sup> milligrams per liter</p> <p><span class="section-title">Number of Stable Isotopes</span>: 5 <span class="other-data">(<a href="iso064.html">View all isotope data</a>)</span></p> <p><span class="section-title">Ionization Energy</span>: 6.150 eV</p> <p><span class="section-title">Oxidation States</span>: +3</p> <table class="electron-config"> <tr><td><p><span class="section-title"><a href="/qa/electron_config.html">Electron Shell Configuration</a></span>:</p></td><td><p>1s<sup>2</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td class="unconfirmed"></td><td><p>2s<sup>2</sup> 2p<sup>6</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><p>3s<sup>2</sup> 3p<sup>6</sup> 3d<sup>10</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><p>4s<sup>2</sup> 4p<sup>6</sup> 4d<sup>10</sup> 4f<sup>7</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><p>5s<sup>2</sup> 5p<sup>6</sup> 5d<sup>1</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><p>6s<sup>2</sup></p></td></tr> </table> </div> <!-- citation and page contact --> <div class="row page-contact"> <div class="col-12"> <p><a href="/faq/index.html">Citation and linking information</a></p> <p>For questions about this page, please contact <a href="mailto:carolm@jlab.org">Carol McKisson</a>.</p> </div> </div> <!-- end citation and page contact --> </div> <!-- ^^ end of 'content' div ^^ --> </main> <!-- 'main' section end --> <!-- footer start --> <footer> <div class="jlab-footer-background"> <div class="jlab-footer-content clearfix"> <!-- right section, containing lab address and links --> <div class="jlab-footer-right-container"> <p class="address">Thomas Jefferson</p> <p class="address">National Accelerator Facility</p> <div class="scied-lower-box"> <p class="address2">OFFICE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION</p> <p class="address2">628 Hofstadter Road, Suite 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