39 Y Yttrium 88.905842

Yttrium

TRANSITION METAL
Bohr Model: Electrons arranged in energy shells around the nucleus.

Yttrium is a chemical element with symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and it has often been classified as a "rare earth element". Yttrium is almost always found combined with the lanthanides in rare earth minerals and is never found in nature as a free element.

Quick Facts

Atomic Number 39
Period 5
Group 3
Phase Solid
Appearance silvery white
About Transition Metals

Transition metals are elements with partially filled d-orbitals. They are hard, have high melting points, and often form colored compounds.

History

Discovered By Johan Gadolin
Named By Unknown

Physical Properties

Atomic Mass 88.905842
Density 4.472 g/L
Molar Heat 26.53 J/(mol·K)
Phase Transition (Melting & Boiling Points)

Yttrium melts at 1799 K and boils at 3203 K.

Atomic Properties

Electron Config [Kr] 4d1 5s2
Electronegativity 1.22
Electron Affinity 29.6 kJ/mol
Ionization Energy 600 kJ/mol
Orbital Filling Diagram
This diagram visualizes electron configuration according to the Aufbau principle and Hund's rule. Boxes represent orbitals (s, p, d, f), while arrows indicate electrons with spin up or down. Electrons fill lower energy levels first and occupy orbitals singly before pairing.

Photograph

Image of Yttrium Source: Wikipedia

External Resources

Study Guide

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus, which defines the element.

Atomic Mass

The average mass of an atom, including protons and neutrons.

Electronegativity

A measure of how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a bond.

Ionization Energy

The energy required to remove an electron from an atom.

Electron Config

The arrangement of electrons in the atom's energy shells.