Lutetium (pronounced /ljuːˈtiːʃiəm/ lew-TEE-shee-əm) is a chemical element with the symbol Lu and atomic number 71. It is in the d-block of the periodic table, not the f-block, but the IUPAC classifies it as a lanthanide. It is one of the elements that traditionally was included in the classification, "rare earths". One of its radioactive isotopes (Lu) is used in nuclear technology to determine the age of meteorites. Lutetium usually occurs in as...
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Lutetium (pronounced /ljuːˈtiːʃiəm/ lew-TEE-shee-əm) is a chemical element with the symbol Lu and atomic number 71. It is in the d-block of the periodic table, not the f-block, but the IUPAC classifies it as a lanthanide. It is one of the elements that traditionally was included in the classification, "rare earths". One of its radioactive isotopes (Lu) is used in nuclear technology to determine the age of meteorites. Lutetium usually occurs in association with the element yttrium and is sometimes used in metal alloys and as a catalyst in various chemical reactions.
Lutetium is a silvery white corrosion-resistant trivalent metal. It has the smallest atomic radius and is the heaviest and hardest of the rare earth elements. Lutetium has the highest melting point of any lanthanide, probably related to the lanthanide contraction.
Lutetium metal tarnishes slowly in air and burns readily at 150 °C to form lutetium(III) oxide:
Lutetium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold...
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