Element 71

Lutetium (Lu)

Lanthanide · Period 6 · d-block

Lutetium (Lu) is element 71 of the periodic table, a lanthanide in period 6 (d-block) with an atomic mass of 174.97 and is a solid at standard conditions.

At a glance

Atomic number
71
Symbol
Lu
Atomic mass
174.97 u
Category
Lanthanides
Period
6
Block
d-block
Phase at STP
solid

Electron structure

Electron configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d1 6s2
Shorthand configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2
Electrons per shell
2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2
Oxidation states
+3

Physical properties

Melting point
1925 K
Boiling point
3675 K
Density
9.84 g/cm3
Phase
solid

Atomic properties

Electronegativity (Pauling)
1.27
Atomic radius
217 pm
Covalent radius
187 pm
First ionization energy
524 kJ/mol
Electron affinity
50 kJ/mol

Notable isotopes

IsotopeMassAbundanceStability
Lu-175174.9407897.41%Stable

Common uses

  • PET scanners
  • Catalysts
  • LED light bulbs
  • Dating meteorites

Discovery

Year
1907
Discovered by
Georges Urbain, Carl Auer von Welsbach
Country
France/Austria

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