Samarium (pronounced /səˈmɛəriəm/, sə-MAIR-ee-əm) is a chemical element with the symbol Sm and atomic number 62.
Samarium is a rare earth metal, with a bright silver luster. Three crystal modifications of the metal also exist, with transformations at 734 and 922 °C, making it polymorphic. Individual samarium atoms can be isolated by encaspulating them into fullerene molecules.
Samarium oxidizes in air and ignites at 150 °C. Even with long-term st...
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Samarium (pronounced /səˈmɛəriəm/, sə-MAIR-ee-əm) is a chemical element with the symbol Sm and atomic number 62.
Samarium is a rare earth metal, with a bright silver luster. Three crystal modifications of the metal also exist, with transformations at 734 and 922 °C, making it polymorphic. Individual samarium atoms can be isolated by encaspulating them into fullerene molecules.
Samarium oxidizes in air and ignites at 150 °C. Even with long-term storage under mineral oil, samarium is gradually oxidized, with a grayish-yellow powder of the oxide-hydroxide being formed. The metallic appearance of a sample can be preserved by sealing it under an inert gas such as argon.
Samarium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water to form samarium hydroxide:
Samarium metal reacts with all the halogens:
Samarium dissolves readily in dilute sulfuric acid to form solutions containing the pale green Sm(III) ions, which exist as a [Sm(OH2)9] complexes:...
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