Element 66

Dysprosium (Dy)

Lanthanide · Period 6 · f-block

Dysprosium (Dy) is element 66 of the periodic table, a lanthanide in period 6 (f-block) with an atomic mass of 162.5 and is a solid at standard conditions.

At a glance

Atomic number
66
Symbol
Dy
Atomic mass
162.5 u
Category
Lanthanides
Period
6
Block
f-block
Phase at STP
solid

Electron structure

Electron configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f10 5s2 5p6 6s2
Shorthand configuration
[Xe] 4f10 6s2
Electrons per shell
2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2
Oxidation states
+2, +3, +4

Physical properties

Melting point
1680 K
Boiling point
2840 K
Density
8.55 g/cm3
Phase
solid

Atomic properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)
1.22
Atomic radius
228 pm
Covalent radius
192 pm
First ionization energy
573 kJ/mol
Electron affinity
50 kJ/mol

Notable isotopes

IsotopeMassAbundanceStability
Dy-164163.9291828.18%Stable

Common uses

  • Magnets
  • Lasers
  • Nuclear reactors
  • Data storage

Discovery

Year
1886
Discovered by
Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Country
France

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