Gd Gadolinium
Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Gadolinium is a chemical element with symbol Gd and atomic number 64. It is a silvery-white, malleable and ductile rare-earth metal. It is found in nature only in combined (salt) form.
It belongs to group of the periodic table having trivial name .
Gadolinium Facts
Read key information and facts about element Gadolinium
| Name | Gadolinium |
| Atomic Number | 64 |
| Atomic Symbol | Gd |
| Atomic Weight | 157.25 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Silver |
| Appearance | silvery white |
| Classification | Lanthanide |
| Group in Periodic Table | - |
| Group Name | |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | f -block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f7 5d1 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2 |
| Melting Point | 1586 K |
| Boiling Point | 3523 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-54-2 |
How to Locate Gadolinium on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 64 to find Gadolinium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Gadolinium on periodic table look for cross section of group - and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Gadolinium History
The element Gadolinium was discovered by J. C. G. de Marignac in year 1880 in Switzerland. Gadolinium was first isolated by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran in 1886. Gadolinium derived its name from Johan Gadolin, chemist, physicist and mineralogist.
Marignac initially observed the new earth in terbia, and later Boisbaudran obtained a pure sample from samarskite.
Gadolinium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Gadolinium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 2 | 0.02 |
| Abundance in Sun | 2 | 0.01 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 230 | 30 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 5200 | 680 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.0007 | 0.000028 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Gadolinium
The solid state structure of Gadolinium is Simple Hexagonal.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 363.6 pm | 363.6 pm | 578.26 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | 2 π/3 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | P63/mmc |
| Space Group Number | 194 |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Hexagonal |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Gadolinium Atomic and Orbital Properties
Gadolinium atoms have 64 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 9D2.
| Atomic Number | 64 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 64 |
| Number of Protons | 64 |
| Mass Number | 157 |
| Number of Neutrons | 93 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f7 5d1 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 4f7 5d1 6s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 3 |
| Main Oxidation States | 3 |
| Oxidation States | 0, 1, 2, 3 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 9D2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Gadolinium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Gadolinium - neutral Gadolinium atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Gadolinium
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Gadolinium atom is [Xe] 4f7 5d1 6s2. The portion of Gadolinium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 4f7 5d1 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Gadolinium
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Gadolinium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f7 5d1 6s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
Atomic Structure of Gadolinium
Gadolinium atomic radius is 233 pm, while it's covalent radius is - .
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 233 pm (2.33 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 180 pm (1.8 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 19.903 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | - |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 49000 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 7.3 |
Atomic Spectrum of Gadolinium
Gadolinium Chemical Properties: Gadolinium Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Gadolinium is 50 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 3 |
| Electronegativity | 1.2 |
| ElectronAffinity | 50 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Gadolinium
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Gadolinium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 593.4 |
| 2nd | 1170 |
| 3rd | 1990 |
| 4th | 4250 |
Gadolinium Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Gadolinium Physical Properties
| Density | 7.901 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $7.4 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 19.903 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 55 |
| Shear Modulus | 22 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 38 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.26 |
Hardness of Gadolinium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | - |
| Vickers Hardness | 570 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | - |
Gadolinium Electrical Properties
Gadolinium is Conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties ofGadolinium
| Electrical Conductivity | 770000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 0.0000013 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 1.083 |
Gadolinium Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 11 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000094 /K |
Gadolinium Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Ferromagnetic |
| Curie Point | 292 K |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | - |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | - |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | - |
Optical Properties of Gadolinium
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Gadolinium
| Speed of Sound | 2680 m/s |
Gadolinium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Gadolinium
| Melting Point | 1586 K (1312.85°C, 2395.13 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 3523 K (3249.85°C, 5881.73 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | 1.083 |
Enthalpies of Gadolinium
| Heat of Fusion | 10 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 305 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Gadolinium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Gadolinium
Gadolinium has 36 isotopes, with between 134 and 169 nucleons. Gadolinium has 6 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Gadolinium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 154Gd, 155Gd, 156Gd, 157Gd, 158Gd, 160Gd.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134Gd | 64 | 70 | 134 | Synthetic | ||
| 135Gd | 64 | 71 | 135 | Synthetic | ||
| 136Gd | 64 | 72 | 136 | Synthetic | ||
| 137Gd | 64 | 73 | 137 | Synthetic | ||
| 138Gd | 64 | 74 | 138 | Synthetic | ||
| 139Gd | 64 | 75 | 139 | Synthetic | ||
| 140Gd | 64 | 76 | 140 | Synthetic | ||
| 141Gd | 64 | 77 | 141 | Synthetic | ||
| 142Gd | 64 | 78 | 142 | Synthetic | ||
| 143Gd | 64 | 79 | 143 | Synthetic | ||
| 144Gd | 64 | 80 | 144 | Synthetic | ||
| 145Gd | 64 | 81 | 145 | Synthetic | ||
| 146Gd | 64 | 82 | 146 | Synthetic | ||
| 147Gd | 64 | 83 | 147 | Synthetic | ||
| 148Gd | 64 | 84 | 148 | Synthetic | ||
| 149Gd | 64 | 85 | 149 | Synthetic | ||
| 150Gd | 64 | 86 | 150 | Synthetic | ||
| 151Gd | 64 | 87 | 151 | Synthetic | ||
| 152Gd | 64 | 88 | 152 | 0.2% | Stable | N/A |
| 153Gd | 64 | 89 | 153 | Synthetic | ||
| 154Gd | 64 | 90 | 154 | 2.18% | Stable | N/A |
| 155Gd | 64 | 91 | 155 | 14.8% | Stable | N/A |
| 156Gd | 64 | 92 | 156 | 20.47% | Stable | N/A |
| 157Gd | 64 | 93 | 157 | 15.65% | Stable | |
| 158Gd | 64 | 94 | 158 | 24.84% | Stable | N/A |
| 159Gd | 64 | 95 | 159 | Synthetic | ||
| 160Gd | 64 | 96 | 160 | 21.86% | Stable | N/A |
| 161Gd | 64 | 97 | 161 | Synthetic | ||
| 162Gd | 64 | 98 | 162 | Synthetic | ||
| 163Gd | 64 | 99 | 163 | Synthetic | ||
| 164Gd | 64 | 100 | 164 | Synthetic | ||
| 165Gd | 64 | 101 | 165 | Synthetic | ||
| 166Gd | 64 | 102 | 166 | Synthetic | ||
| 167Gd | 64 | 103 | 167 | Synthetic | ||
| 168Gd | 64 | 104 | 168 | Synthetic | ||
| 169Gd | 64 | 105 | 169 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-54-2 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSLW3850000 |
| CID Number | CID23982 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Gadolinium with other elements
Compare Gadolinium with all Group elements
Compare Gadolinium with all Period 6 elements
Compare Gadolinium with all Lanthanide elements
FAQs
What is the electronic configuration of Gadolinium?
The electronic configuration of Gadolinium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f7 5d1 6s2.
What is the abbreviated electronic configuration of Gadolinium?
The abbreviated electronic configuration of Gadolinium is [Xe] 4f7 5d1 6s2. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.
What is the symbol of Gadolinium?
Symbol of Gadolinium is Gd. Gadolinium is a chemical element with symbol Gd and atomic number 64.
What is the position of Gadolinium in the Periodic Table?
Gadolinium is a chemical element with the symbol Gd and atomic number 64. Gadolinium is the 64 element on the periodic table. It is located in group null and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
What is the atomic number of Gadolinium?
The atomic number of Gadolinium is 64.
What is the color of Gadolinium?
Gadolinium is of Silver color.
Who discovered Gadolinium?
The element Gadolinium was discovered by J. C. G. de Marignac in year 1880 in Switzerland. Gadolinium was first isolated by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran in 1886.
How many valence electrons does a Gadolinium atom have?
Gadolinium has 3 valence electrons. Gadolinium has 64 electrons out of which 3 valence electrons are present in the 4f7 5d1 6s2 outer orbitals of atom.
What is the melting Point of Gadolinium?
Melting Point of Gadolinium is 1586 K.
What is the boiling Point of Gadolinium?
Boiling Point of Gadolinium is 3523 K.
What is the melting Point of Gadolinium in Kelvin?
Melting Point of Gadolinium in Kelvin is 1586 K.
What is the boiling Point of Gadolinium in Kelvin?
Boiling Point of Gadolinium in Kelvin is 3523 K.
What is the electronic configuration of Gadolinium 64?
The electronic configuration of Gadolinium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f7 5d1 6s2.
How do you write the electron configuration for Gadolinium?
The electronic configuration of Gadolinium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f7 5d1 6s2.