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Element 66 - Dysprosium (Dy) sound

From dysprositos, or hard to get at; discovered 1886. Dysprosium's chief practical use is in nuclear reactors, where it serves as a nuclear "poison"--that is, it is employed as a neutron eating material to keep the neutron-spawning atomic chain reaction from getting out of hand.

Properties

Atomic Number: 66
Atomic Weight: 162.50
Electron Configuration (at ground state): 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d104f105s25p66s2
Oxidation States (Bold most stable): +3
Boiling Point (K): 2840
Melting Point (K): 1685
Density (at 300K -- g/cm3): 8.55
Atomic Volume (at 300K -- cm3/mol) 19.0
Number of stable isotopes: 7
Covalent Radius (Å): 1.59
Atomic Radius (Å): 1.80
First Ionization Potential (V): 5.93
Electronegativity (Pauling's): 1.22
Specific Heat Capacity (at 300K -- J g-1 K-1): 0.173
Heat of Vaporization (kJ/mol): 230
Heat of Fusion (kJ/mol): 11.06
Electrical Conductivity (at 293K for polycrystalline material -- 106 (ohms)-1 cm-1): 1.1
Thermal Conductivity (at 300K -- W m-1 K-1): 10.7
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Acid-Base Properties: Slightly basic