Quick answerSamarium (Sm) is a lanthanide with atomic number 62 and an atomic mass of 150.36 (2023), in period 6. It was discovered by Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1879. It is used for high-temperature magnets and precision motors. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f6 6s2.
Samarium magnets survive heat that destroys other magnets, which is why they fly in precision motors and headphones.
Key facts
| Symbol | Sm |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 62 |
| Atomic mass | 150.36 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | lanthanide |
| Group | — (f-block element, no group number) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f-block |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f6 6s2 |
| Discovered | Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 1879 |
| Uses | high-temperature magnets, precision motors, headphones, nuclear reactor control, cancer treatment |
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Lanthanum (La) — another lanthanide, atomic number 57
- 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
- Europium (Eu) — another lanthanide, atomic number 63
- 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
- All lanthanide elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.