Lu - Lutetium
Lutetium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Lutetium is a chemical element with symbol Lu and atomic number 71. It is a silvery white metal, which resists corrosion in dry, but not in moist air. It is considered the first element of the 6th-period transition metals and the last element in the Lanthanide series, and is traditionally counted among the rare earths.
It belongs to group 3 of the periodic table having trivial name null. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Lutetium in a PDF format.
Lutetium Facts
Read key information and facts about element Lutetium
| Name | Lutetium |
| Atomic Number | 71 |
| Atomic Symbol | Lu |
| Atomic Weight | 174.967 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Silver |
| Appearance | silvery white |
| Classification | Lanthanide |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 3 |
| Group Name | scandium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2 |
| Melting Point | 1936 K |
| Boiling Point | 3675 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7439-94-3 |
How to Locate Lutetium on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 71 to find Lutetium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Lutetium on periodic table look for cross section of group 3 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Lutetium History
The element Lutetium was discovered by C. A. von Welsbach and G. Urbain in year 1906 in France and Germany. Lutetium was first isolated by C. A. von Welsbach in 1906. Lutetium derived its name from Lutetia, the Latin name for Paris.
| Discovered By | C. A. von Welsbach and G. Urbain |
| Discovery Date | 1906 in France and Germany |
| First Isolation | 1906 |
| Isolated by | C. A. von Welsbach |
von Welsbach proved that the old ytterbium also contained a new element, which he named cassiopeium. Urbain also proved this simultaneously, but his samples were very impure and only contained trace quantities of the new element. Despite this, his chosen namelutetiumwas adopted.
Lutetium Uses
Lutetium is very rare and high in price. When refined, it can be used in the petroleum cracking process. There are few other commercial applications.
Lutetium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Lutetium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 0.1 | 0.001 |
| Abundance in Sun | 1 | 0.01 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 30 | 3 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 560 | 70 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.00015 | 0.000005 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Lutetium
The solid state structure of Lutetium is Simple Hexagonal.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 350.31 pm | 350.31 pm | 555.09 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | 2 π/3 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | P63/mmc |
| Space Group Number | 194 |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Hexagonal |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Lutetium Atomic and Orbital Properties
Lutetium atoms have 71 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 2D3/2.
| Atomic Number | 71 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 71 |
| Number of Protons | 71 |
| Mass Number | 175 |
| Number of Neutrons | 104 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5d1 6s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 3 |
| Main Oxidation States | 3 |
| Oxidation States | 0, 2, 3 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 2D3/2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Lutetium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Lutetium - neutral Lutetium atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Lutetium
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Lutetium atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d1 6s2. The portion of Lutetium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 5d1 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Lutetium
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Lutetium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d1 6s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Lutetium
Lutetium atomic radius is 217 pm, while it's covalent radius is 160 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 217 pm(2.17 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 175 pm (1.75 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 17.78 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 160 pm (1.6 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 84 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.022 |
Spectral Lines of Lutetium - Atomic Spectrum of Lutetium
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Lutetium
Absorption spectrum of Lutetium
Lutetium Chemical Properties: Lutetium Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Lutetium is 50 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 3 |
| Electronegativity | 1.27 |
| ElectronAffinity | 50 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Lutetium
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Lutetium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 523.5 |
| 2nd | 1340 |
| 3rd | 2022.3 |
| 4th | 4370 |
| 5th | 6445 |
Lutetium Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Lutetium Physical Properties
| Density | 9.841 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $9.3 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 17.78 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 69 |
| Shear Modulus | 27 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 48 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.26 |
Hardness of Lutetium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | - |
| Vickers Hardness | 1160 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 893 MPa |
Lutetium Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Lutetium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Lutetium
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 1800000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 5.59e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 0.1 |
Lutetium Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 16 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000099 /K |
Lutetium Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.2e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 2.1e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0000118 |
Optical Properties of Lutetium
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Lutetium
| Speed of Sound | - |
Lutetium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Lutetium
| Melting Point | 1936 K(1662.85 °C, 3025.130 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 3675 K(3401.85 °C, 6155.330 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | 0.1 |
Enthalpies of Lutetium
| Heat of Fusion | 22 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 415 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Lutetium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Lutetium
Lutetium has 35 isotopes, with between 150 and 184 nucleons. Lutetium has 1 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Lutetium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 175Lu.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150Lu | 71 | 79 | 150 | Synthetic | ||
| 151Lu | 71 | 80 | 151 | Synthetic | ||
| 152Lu | 71 | 81 | 152 | Synthetic | ||
| 153Lu | 71 | 82 | 153 | Synthetic | ||
| 154Lu | 71 | 83 | 154 | Synthetic | ||
| 155Lu | 71 | 84 | 155 | Synthetic | ||
| 156Lu | 71 | 85 | 156 | Synthetic | ||
| 157Lu | 71 | 86 | 157 | Synthetic | ||
| 158Lu | 71 | 87 | 158 | Synthetic | ||
| 159Lu | 71 | 88 | 159 | Synthetic | ||
| 160Lu | 71 | 89 | 160 | Synthetic | ||
| 161Lu | 71 | 90 | 161 | Synthetic | ||
| 162Lu | 71 | 91 | 162 | Synthetic | ||
| 163Lu | 71 | 92 | 163 | Synthetic | ||
| 164Lu | 71 | 93 | 164 | Synthetic | ||
| 165Lu | 71 | 94 | 165 | Synthetic | ||
| 166Lu | 71 | 95 | 166 | Synthetic | ||
| 167Lu | 71 | 96 | 167 | Synthetic | ||
| 168Lu | 71 | 97 | 168 | Synthetic | ||
| 169Lu | 71 | 98 | 169 | Synthetic | ||
| 170Lu | 71 | 99 | 170 | Synthetic | ||
| 171Lu | 71 | 100 | 171 | Synthetic | ||
| 172Lu | 71 | 101 | 172 | Synthetic | ||
| 173Lu | 71 | 102 | 173 | Synthetic | ||
| 174Lu | 71 | 103 | 174 | Synthetic | ||
| 175Lu | 71 | 104 | 175 | 97.41% | Stable | |
| 176Lu | 71 | 105 | 176 | 2.59% | Stable | N/A |
| 177Lu | 71 | 106 | 177 | Synthetic | ||
| 178Lu | 71 | 107 | 178 | Synthetic | ||
| 179Lu | 71 | 108 | 179 | Synthetic | ||
| 180Lu | 71 | 109 | 180 | Synthetic | ||
| 181Lu | 71 | 110 | 181 | Synthetic | ||
| 182Lu | 71 | 111 | 182 | Synthetic | ||
| 183Lu | 71 | 112 | 183 | Synthetic | ||
| 184Lu | 71 | 113 | 184 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
| DOT Numbers | 3089 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.1 |
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Health Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | N/A | N/A |
| NFPA Hazards | N/A |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7439-94-3 |
| RTECS Number | - |
| CID Number | CID23929 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Lutetium with other elements
Compare Lutetium with Group 3, Period 6 and Lanthanide elements of the periodic table.
Compare Lutetium with all Group 3 elements
Compare Lutetium with all Period 6 elements
Compare Lutetium with all Lanthanide elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Lutetium