Ho
Holmium has the highest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring element.
Physical Properties
| Atomic Mass | 164.93 u |
| Density | 8.795 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 1734.0 K |
| Boiling Point | 2993.0 K |
| Appearance | Silvery-white metallic |
| State at Room Temp | Solid |
Chemical Properties
| Electronegativity | 1.23 (Pauling) |
| 1st Ionization Energy | 581.0 kJ/mol |
| Electron Affinity | 32.61 kJ/mol |
| Oxidation States | +2, +3 |
Atomic Properties
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f11 6s2 |
| Atomic Radius | 176.0 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 192.0 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 216.0 pm |
Discovery
| Discovered By | Per Teodor Cleve |
| Discovery Year | 1878 |
| Location | Uppsala, Sweden |
| Named After | Latin 'Holmia' meaning Stockholm |
About Holmium
Holmium is a soft, silvery, bright metallic rare earth element with the highest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring element. It is relatively stable in dry air at room temperature.
Uses & Applications
Magnets, nuclear reactor control rods, medical lasers (holmium:YAG), and spectrophotometer calibration.
Fun Fact
Holmium has the highest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring element and is used to create some of the strongest artificial magnetic fields.
Isotopes
| Mass Number | Abundance | Half-Life | Stable |
| 165 | 1.0% | - | Yes |
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f11 6s2