Dy
Dysprosium is essential for high-performance permanent magnets.
Physical Properties
| Atomic Mass | 162.5 u |
| Density | 8.55 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 1680.0 K |
| Boiling Point | 2840.0 K |
| Appearance | Silvery-white metallic |
| State at Room Temp | Solid |
Chemical Properties
| Electronegativity | 1.22 (Pauling) |
| 1st Ionization Energy | 573.0 kJ/mol |
| Electron Affinity | 33.96 kJ/mol |
| Oxidation States | +2, +3 |
Atomic Properties
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f10 6s2 |
| Atomic Radius | 178.0 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 192.0 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 229.0 pm |
Discovery
| Discovered By | Lecoq de Boisbaudran |
| Discovery Year | 1886 |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Named After | Greek 'dysprositos' meaning hard to get |
About Dysprosium
Dysprosium is a relatively hard, lustrous, silvery rare earth metal with one of the highest magnetic susceptibilities. It is added to neodymium magnets to maintain performance at high temperatures.
Uses & Applications
Neodymium magnets (thermal stability additive), nuclear reactor control rods, and data storage.
Fun Fact
Dysprosium's name literally means 'hard to get' in Greek, reflecting how difficult it is to separate from other rare earths.
Isotopes
| Mass Number | Abundance | Half-Life | Stable |
| 161 | 0.18889% | - | Yes |
| 162 | 0.25475% | - | Yes |
| 163 | 0.24896% | - | Yes |
| 164 | 0.2826% | - | Yes |
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f10 6s2