Quick answerEuropium (Eu) is a lanthanide with atomic number 63 and an atomic mass of 151.96 (2023), in period 6. It was discovered by Eugène-Anatole Demarçay in 1901. It is used for red phosphors in screens and euro banknote security. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f7 6s2.
Europium is the lanthanide that makes red phosphors glow in screens and the anti-forgery marks on euro banknotes.
Key facts
| Symbol | Eu |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 63 |
| Atomic mass | 151.96 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | lanthanide |
| Group | — (f-block element, no group number) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f-block |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f7 6s2 |
| Discovered | Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, 1901 |
| Uses | red phosphors in screens, euro banknote security, lasers, nuclear reactor control, fluorescent lamps |
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Cerium (Ce) — another lanthanide, atomic number 58
- Praseodymium (Pr) — another lanthanide, atomic number 59
- Neodymium (Nd) — another lanthanide, atomic number 60
- Promethium (Pm) — another lanthanide, atomic number 61
- Samarium (Sm) — another lanthanide, atomic number 62
- Gadolinium (Gd) — another lanthanide, atomic number 64
- Terbium (Tb) — another lanthanide, atomic number 65
- Dysprosium (Dy) — another lanthanide, atomic number 66
- Holmium (Ho) — another lanthanide, atomic number 67
- Erbium (Er) — another lanthanide, atomic number 68
- All lanthanide elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
- Wikipedia — Europium
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.