Gadolinium | Chemistry

Pui Kiu College, New Territories, Hong Kong

Gadolinium, 64, Pui Kiu College, NT Hong Kong

Gadolinium: Gadolinium (Gd) is a silvery white rare earth metal. That’s why silvery background is used in the picture to represent gadolinium. Gadolinium forms compounds which are used for making phosphors for color television tubes. Color television tubes use three different phosphors which emit red, green and blue light and transferred to the television screen as pictures. Gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd₂O₂S) is responsible for the green phosphors and that’s why a green frog is shown in the picture. A gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG, Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂) is used as diamond imitation. Therefore a diamond is drawn in the picture to show this special application of gadolinium.

Artist: Giselle Kwok. Teacher: Gloria Li, Pui Kiu College, New Territories, Hong Kong.

Atomic properties*

Name:

Gadolinium

Symbol:

Gd

Atomic number:

64

Atomic mass:

157.25 amu

Melting point:

1313°C

Boiling point:

3273°C

Density:

7.9 g/cm³

Electronegativity:

1.2

# of Isotopes:

7

State:

Solid

Colour:

Silvery-white**

Classification:

Metallic**

* Haynes, W. M. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 91st edition: http://www.hbcponline.com/ Retrieved April 7, 2011

** Winter, M. (2010). Home of the Periodic Table. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from Web Elements: http://www.webelements.com/