Term: lanthanum (La)
Literally
meaning: “pertaining
to hidden”
Origin:
λανθάνω/lanthano(= to be hidden, to escape notice) .
The element called lanthanum because it is “hidden” in
rare minerals.
Coined/History
Lanthanum was isolated in the mineral cerite, by
Swedish chemist Carl Gustav Mosander (1797-1893) in 1893. The name lanthana,
that was first given to the new element, was suggested by Swedish chemist and his friend Jons
Jacob Berzelius in 1817 ((1779-1848). Mosander announced the discovery of another rare
earth contained in it that he named “didymium” because it seemed to be “an inseparable twin brother of lanthanum”.
Definition
Lanthanum is a chemical element wit atomic number 57
and atomic mass 138.90547. It is
a moderately toxic element with soft silvery-white appearance. It is used in
nickel metal hydrite (NiMH)rechargeable batteries for hybrid automobiles.
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