GROUP 3: SCANDIUM GROUP

Scandium Group Overview

Also known as: Scandium family

Group Members: Scandium (Sc), Yttrium (Y), Lanthanum (La), Actinium (Ac)

Common Properties: All are transition metals, form +3 oxidation state, relatively reactive, silvery-white appearance

Sc

Scandium

Transition Metal
Atomic Number 21
Atomic Mass 44.96 u
Electron Config [Ar] 3d¹ 4s²
Common Ions Sc³⁺
Melting Point 1541°C
Density 2.99 g/cm³
Scandium is more common on the Moon than on Earth and was predicted to exist 10 years before it was discovered!

Properties: Light, soft, silvery-white, reacts with water

Applications: Aerospace alloys, sports equipment, high-intensity lights

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Y

Yttrium

Transition Metal
Atomic Number 39
Atomic Mass 88.91 u
Electron Config [Kr] 4d¹ 5s²
Common Ions Y³⁺
Melting Point 1522°C
Density 4.47 g/cm³
Yttrium is used to make the red color in television screens and is named after the Swedish village of Ytterby!

Properties: Silvery-metallic, fairly stable in air, forms protective oxide

Applications: TV phosphors, lasers, superconductors, cancer treatment

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La

Lanthanum

Lanthanide
Atomic Number 57
Atomic Mass 138.91 u
Electron Config [Xe] 5d¹ 6s²
Common Ions La³⁺
Melting Point 920°C
Density 6.15 g/cm³
Lanthanum is the first element in the lanthanide series and its name means "to lie hidden"!

Properties: Soft, malleable, silvery-white, very reactive

Applications: Camera lenses, battery electrodes, catalytic converters

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Ac

Actinium

Radioactive
Atomic Number 89
Atomic Mass 227 u
Electron Config [Rn] 6d¹ 7s²
Common Ions Ac³⁺
Half-life 21.77 years
Stability Radioactive
Actinium is 150 times more radioactive than radium and glows with an eerie blue light in the dark!

Properties: Radioactive, silvery-white, glows in the dark

Applications: Neutron source, cancer treatment, scientific research

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