Yttrium | Chemistry

Stockholm University, Hässelby, Sweden

Yttrium: Our tile of Yttrium (Y) shows the old quarry in Ytterby, situated outside Stockholm, Sweden. Here Yttrium was discovered in 1843 and the quarry gave name to the new element. Yttrium is a silvery-white metal used in the production of gems with almost the same hardness as diamonds. The most important yttrium compound, Yttrium oxide, is used together with vanadium, europium and phosphorus as the red color in color TV picture tubes. The atomic number 39 is written in digital numbers to represent that yttrium oxide is important in micro-wave ovens, where with iron, is used as microwave-filters.

Created by Malin Svedberg, Carolina Öhlund, Amanda Wendelstig, Patrik Eveland and Linda Halabi (student teachers at the Teacher Education at Stockholm University, Stockholm Sweden)

Atomic properties*

Name:

Yttrium

Symbol:

Y

Atomic number:

39

Atomic mass:

88.91 amu

Melting point:

1522°C

Boiling point:

3345°C

Density:

4.47 g/cm³

Electronegativity:

1.22

# of Isotopes:

1

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/