Page 114 - The Periodic Table Book
P. 114
60
Nd Neodymium 60 60 84
Lanthanides Pink glass Strong magnets made of neodymium can be State: Solid
used to lift thousands of times their own mass.
This element was discovered in 1885 by the Austrian
chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach, and it was originally
used to colour glass. Small amounts of neodymium Discovery: 1885
turn glass pinkish purple. Today, this element is Laboratory sample
also employed in lasers used in eye surgery. of pure neodymium
This glass gets
its colour from
very tiny amounts
of neodymium.
The pure
element turns
black when it
reacts with air.
61
Pm Promethium
61 61 84
This paint glows as a result
of radioactive promethium.
State: Solid
Discovery: 1945
This missile uses radioactive
promethium for electrical power.
Missile
Promethium is the rarest lanthanide element.
Any promethium that was in Earth’s rocks decayed
billions of years ago. Promethium is therefore
produced artificially in nuclear reactors. Being very
radioactive, it is used in some missiles, because
it converts this radioactivity into electrical power.
Promethium-rich paint in The addition of promethium also makes some
112 a tin seen from above paints glow in the dark.
112-113_Neodymium_Promethium_Samarium_Europium.indd 112 12/12/16 5:39 pm
