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Sm Samarium
Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

62
Sm
Samarium
Element 62 of Periodic table is Samarium with atomic number 62, atomic weight 150.36. Samarium, symbol Sm, has a Simple Trigonal structure and Silver color. Samarium is a Lanthanide element. It is part of group null (). Know everything about Samarium Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
62 Sm - Samarium | SchoolMyKids

Samarium is a chemical element with symbol Sm and atomic number 62. It is a moderately hard silvery metal that readily oxidizes in air. Being a typical member of the Lanthanide series, samarium usually assumes the oxidation state +3.

It belongs to group null of the periodic table having trivial name . You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Samarium in a PDF format.

Samarium Facts

Read key information and facts about element Samarium

NameSamarium
Atomic Number62
Atomic SymbolSm
Atomic Weight150.36
PhaseSolid
ColorSilver
Appearancesilvery white
ClassificationLanthanide
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table-
Group Name
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 6
Block in Periodic Tablef-block
Electronic Configuration[Xe] 4f6 6s2
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 18, 24, 8, 2
Melting Point1345 K
Boiling Point2076 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-19-9
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Samarium 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 62 to find Samarium 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 Samarium on periodic table look for cross section of group - and period 6 in the modern periodic table.

Samarium History

The element Samarium was discovered by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran in year 1879 in France. Samarium was first isolated by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran in 1879. Samarium derived its name from Samarskite, the name of the mineral from which it was first isolated.

Discovered By P.E.L. de Boisbaudran
Discovery Date 1879 in France
First Isolation 1879
Isolated by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran

Boisbaudran noted a new earth in samarskite and named it samaria after the mineral.

Samarium Uses

Samarium is used as a catalyst for the dehydration and dehydrogenation of ethanol fuels. It can also be used to absorb infrared light rays and in the treatment of cancer.

Samarium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Samarium 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 Universe50.04
Abundance in Sun10.01
Abundance in Meteorites17020
Abundance in Earth's Crust6000820
Abundance in Oceans0.000450.000019
Abundance in Humans--

Crystal Structure of Samarium

The solid state structure of Samarium is Simple Trigonal.

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)

abc
362.1 pm362.1 pm2625 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
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 NameR_ 3m
Space Group Number166
Crystal StructureSimple Trigonal
Number of atoms per unit cell
62 Sm Samarium - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Samarium Atomic and Orbital Properties

Samarium atoms have 62 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 24, 8, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 7F0.

Atomic Number62
Number of Electrons (with no charge)62
Number of Protons62
Mass Number150
Number of Neutrons88
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 18, 24, 8, 2
Electron Configuration[Xe] 4f6 6s2
Valence Electrons4f6 6s2
Valence (Valency)3
Main Oxidation States3
Oxidation States0, 1, 2, 3
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)7F0

Bohr Atomic Model of Samarium - Electrons per energy level

62 Sm Samarium Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Samarium - neutral Samarium atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Samarium

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Samarium atom is [Xe] 4f6 6s2. The portion of Samarium 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 4f6 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Samarium

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Samarium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f6 6s2

Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.

  • As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
  • The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
  • Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
  • Electron configuration of Samarium
    Atomic Structure of Samarium

    Samarium atomic radius is 238 pm, while it's covalent radius is -.

    Atomic Radius Calculated

    238 pm(2.38 Å)

    Atomic Radius Empirical

    185 pm (1.85 Å)

    Atomic Volume19.98 cm3/mol
    Covalent Radius-
    Van der Waals Radius-
    Neutron Cross Section5900
    Neutron Mass Absorption 4.7

    Spectral Lines of Samarium - Atomic Spectrum of Samarium

    A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.

    Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.

    Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.

    Emission spectrum of Samarium

    Emission Spectrum of Samarium | SchoolMyKids

    Absorption spectrum of Samarium

    Absorption Spectrum of Samarium | SchoolMyKids

    Samarium Chemical Properties: Samarium Ionization Energies and electron affinity

    The electron affinity of Samarium is 50 kJ/mol.

    Valence3
    Electronegativity1.17
    ElectronAffinity50 kJ/mol

    Ionization Energy of Samarium

    Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

    Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Samarium

    Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
    1st544.5
    2nd1070
    3rd2260
    4th3990

    Samarium Physical Properties

    Refer to below table for Samarium Physical Properties

    Density7.353 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $7.16 g/cm3)
    Molar Volume19.98 cm3/mol

    Elastic Properties

    Young Modulus50
    Shear Modulus20 GPa
    Bulk Modulus 38 GPa
    Poisson Ratio0.27

    Hardness of Samarium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

    Mohs Hardness-
    Vickers Hardness412 MPa
    Brinell Hardness441 MPa

    Samarium Electrical Properties

    Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).

    Samarium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Samarium

    Electrical conductors Conductor
    Electrical Conductivity1100000 S/m
    Resistivity9.4e-7 m Ω
    Superconducting Point-

    Samarium Heat and Conduction Properties

    Thermal Conductivity13 W/(m K)
    Thermal Expansion0.0000127 /K

    Samarium Magnetic Properties

    Magnetic TypeParamagnetic
    Curie Point-
    Mass Magnetic Susceptibility1.11e-7 m3/kg
    Molar Magnetic Susceptibility1.669e-8 m3/mol
    Volume Magnetic Susceptibility0.00081618

    Optical Properties of Samarium

    Refractive Index-

    Acoustic Properties of Samarium

    Speed of Sound2130 m/s

    Samarium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

    Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Samarium

    Melting Point1345 K(1071.85 °C, 1961.330 °F)
    Boiling Point2076 K(1802.85 °C, 3277.130 °F)
    Critical Temperature-
    Superconducting Point-

    Enthalpies of Samarium

    Heat of Fusion8.6 kJ/mol
    Heat of Vaporization175 kJ/mol
    Heat of Combustion-

    Samarium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Samarium

    Samarium has 38 isotopes, with between 128 and 165 nucleons. Samarium has 5 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

    Isotopes of Samarium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 144Sm, 149Sm, 150Sm, 152Sm, 154Sm.

    IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
    128Sm6266128Synthetic
    129Sm6267129Synthetic
    130Sm6268130Synthetic
    131Sm6269131Synthetic
    132Sm6270132Synthetic
    133Sm6271133Synthetic
    134Sm6272134Synthetic
    135Sm6273135Synthetic
    136Sm6274136Synthetic
    137Sm6275137Synthetic
    138Sm6276138Synthetic
    139Sm6277139Synthetic
    140Sm6278140Synthetic
    141Sm6279141Synthetic
    142Sm6280142Synthetic
    143Sm6281143Synthetic
    144Sm62821443.07%StableN/A
    145Sm6283145Synthetic
    146Sm6284146Synthetic
    147Sm628514714.99%StableN/A
    148Sm628614811.24%StableN/A
    149Sm628714913.82%StableN/A
    150Sm62881507.38%Stable
    151Sm6289151Synthetic
    152Sm629015226.75%StableN/A
    153Sm6291153Synthetic
    154Sm629215422.75%StableN/A
    155Sm6293155Synthetic
    156Sm6294156Synthetic
    157Sm6295157Synthetic
    158Sm6296158Synthetic
    159Sm6297159Synthetic
    160Sm6298160Synthetic
    161Sm6299161Synthetic
    162Sm62100162Synthetic
    163Sm62101163Synthetic
    164Sm62102164Synthetic
    165Sm62103165Synthetic

    Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

    The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.

    Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives

    NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.

    The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.

    NFPA Fire Rating1Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
    NFPA Health Rating1 Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
    NFPA Reactivity Rating1 Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
    NFPA Hazards
    1
    1
    1
    Autoignition Point150 °C
    Flashpoint-

    Database Search

    List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

    DatabaseIdentifier number
    CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-19-9
    RTECS Number-
    CID Number CID23951
    Gmelin Number-
    NSC Number-

    Compare Samarium with other elements

    Compare Samarium with all Group elements

    Compare Samarium with all Period 6 elements

    Compare Samarium with all Lanthanide elements

    FAQs

    What is the electronic configuration of Samarium?

    The electronic configuration of Samarium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f6 6s2.

    What is the abbreviated electronic configuration of Samarium?

    The abbreviated electronic configuration of Samarium is [Xe] 4f6 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 Samarium?

    Symbol of Samarium is Sm. Samarium is a chemical element with symbol Sm and atomic number 62.

    What is the position of Samarium in the Periodic Table?

    Samarium is a chemical element with the symbol Sm and atomic number 62. Samarium is the 62 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 Samarium?

    The atomic number of Samarium is 62.

    What is the color of Samarium?

    Samarium is of Silver color.

    Who discovered Samarium?

    The element Samarium was discovered by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran in year 1879 in France. Samarium was first isolated by P.E.L. de Boisbaudran in 1879.

    How many valence electrons does a Samarium atom have?

    Samarium has 3 valence electrons. Samarium has 62 electrons out of which 3 valence electrons are present in the 4f6 6s2 outer orbitals of atom.

    What is the melting Point of Samarium?

    Melting Point of Samarium is 1345 K.

    What is the boiling Point of Samarium?

    Boiling Point of Samarium is 2076 K.

    What is the melting Point of Samarium in Kelvin?

    Melting Point of Samarium in Kelvin is 1345 K.

    What is the boiling Point of Samarium in Kelvin?

    Boiling Point of Samarium in Kelvin is 2076 K.

    What is the melting Point of Samarium in Celsius?

    Melting Point of Samarium in Celsius is 1071.85 °C.

    What is the boiling Point of Samarium in Celsius?

    Boiling Point of Samarium in Celsius is 1802.85 °C.

    What is the melting Point of Samarium in Fahrenheit?

    Melting Point of Samarium in Fahrenheit is 1961.33 °F.

    What is the boiling Point of Samarium in Fahrenheit?

    Boiling Point of Samarium in Fahrenheit is 3277.13 °F.

    What is the electronic configuration of Samarium 62?

    The electronic configuration of Samarium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f6 6s2.

    How do you write the electron configuration for Samarium?

    The electronic configuration of Samarium will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f6 6s2.