Yttrium (Y)
Yttrium is one of four elements named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, along with terbium, erbium and ytterbium.
Yttrium properties
- Atomic mass
- 88.906 u
- Category
- Transition metal
- Group
- 3
- Period
- 5
- Block
- d-block
- State at room temp.
- Solid
- Electronegativity
- 1.22
- Melting point
- 1,799 K (1,525.8 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3,203 K (2,929.8 °C)
- Density
- 4.469 g/cm³
- Atomic radius
- 219 pm
- Ionization energy
- 6.217 eV
- Electron affinity
- 0.307 eV
- Radioactive
- No, has stable isotopes
- Discovered
- 1794
Yttrium electron configuration
- Electron configuration
- [Kr] 4d1 5s2
- Full electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d1 5s2
- Electron shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 9 · 2
The electron configuration of Yttrium (Y) is [Kr] 4d1 5s2. Its 39 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 9, 2.
Protons, neutrons and electrons in Yttrium
A neutral Yttrium atom has 39 protons and 39 electrons. Most Yttrium atoms have about 50 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 89, minus the atomic number 39.
Neutrons are approximate: atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). Atomic number and mass
How many valence electrons does Yttrium have?
2
Yttrium has 2 valence electrons, counting the electrons in its outermost s subshell. Like most transition metals, it can also use d electrons in bonding.
Yttrium orbital diagram
Each box is an orbital that holds up to two electrons with opposite spins (↑↓). The inner shells are the same as the noble gas in brackets. How to write electron configurations
Molar mass of Yttrium
88.906 g/mol
One mole of Yttrium atoms (6.022 × 10²³ atoms) has a mass of 88.906 grams. Use this value to convert between grams and moles.
Yttrium facts
- Yttrium is one of four elements named after the Swedish village of Ytterby, along with terbium, erbium and ytterbium.
- In 1987 a yttrium barium copper oxide became the first material found to superconduct above −196 °C, the boiling point of liquid nitrogen.
- Yttrium (Y) has atomic number 39 and is a solid at room temperature. It was discovered in 1794.
Position in the periodic table
Yttrium is element 39, in period 5 and group 3 of the periodic table, in the d-block.
Uses of Yttrium
Yttrium is widely used in phosphors: yttrium compounds produced the red color in old color TV screens, and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) phosphors help turn blue light into white in many LEDs. YAG crystals are also the basis of widely used industrial and medical lasers. Yttrium oxide stabilizes zirconia ceramics, and radioactive yttrium-90 is used to treat some liver cancers.
Who discovered Yttrium?
Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin discovered yttrium in 1794, identifying a new oxide (later named yttria) in a black mineral from a quarry at Ytterby, near Stockholm. Friedrich Wöhler isolated the impure metal in 1828.
Where does the name come from?
Yttrium is named after Ytterby, a village near Stockholm in Sweden. A quarry there yielded the mineral in which it was found, and three more elements, terbium, erbium and ytterbium, were also named after the village.
Same group
Compare Yttrium
FAQ
What is the electron configuration of Yttrium?
The electron configuration of Yttrium (Y) is [Kr] 4d1 5s2. Its 39 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 9, 2.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Yttrium have?
A neutral Yttrium atom has 39 protons and 39 electrons. Most Yttrium atoms have about 50 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 89, minus the atomic number 39.
How many valence electrons does Yttrium have?
Yttrium has 2 valence electrons, counting the electrons in its outermost s subshell. Like most transition metals, it can also use d electrons in bonding.
What is the molar mass of Yttrium?
The molar mass of Yttrium is 88.906 g/mol. This is the same number as its atomic mass, 88.906 u.
Is Yttrium a metal?
Yes. Yttrium is a transition metal, so it is a metal.
Is Yttrium radioactive?
Ordinary Yttrium is not radioactive: it has at least one stable isotope. Like every element, it also has radioactive isotopes, most of them made in laboratories.
Where is Yttrium on the periodic table?
Yttrium is element 39, in period 5 and group 3 of the periodic table, in the d-block.