Erbium (Er) – Periodic Table (Element Information & More)

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So if you want to know anything about Erbium element, then this guide is for you.

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Erbium Element (Er) Information

Appearance	Silvery white metallic surface
State (at STP)	Solid
Position in Periodic table	Group: lanthanides, Period: 6, Block: f
Category	Inner transition metals
Atomic number or  Protons	68
Neutrons	99
Electrons	68
Symbol	Er
Atomic mass	167.26 u
Electrons arrangement or  Bohr model	2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2
Electronic configuration	[Xe] 4f12 6s2
Atomic radius	216 picometers (van der Waals radius)
1st Ionization energy	6.022 eV
Electronegativity	1.23 (Pauling scale)
Crystal structure	HCP (Hexagonal close packed)
Melting point	1802 K or 1529 °C or 2784 °F
Boiling point	3141 K or 2868 °C or 5194 °F
Density	9.06 g/cm3
Main isotope	166Er
Who discovered Erbium and when?	Carl Gustaf Mosander (in 1843)
CAS number	7440-52-0

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Erbium in Periodic table

Erbium element is in period 6 and in lanthanide group of the Periodic table. Erbium is the f-block element and it belongs to inner transition metals group.

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Why is Erbium in Period 6?

Let me ask you a question.

How many shells does erbium have?

It’s 6. Right?

You have already seen the bohr model of erbium atom in the above table.

From the Bohr model, it can be found that the number of orbits or shells in erbium is 6. Hence, as erbium has 6 orbits, it lies in period 6 of the Periodic table. 

Why is Erbium in f-block?

Before knowing this reason, first of all I want to ask you a simple question.

How can you determine the blocks-wise position of elements?

The simple answer: The elements will lie in the s, p, d or f block will completely depend upon the subshell in which the last electron will enter.

For example; the electron configuration of erbium is [Xe] 6s² 4f¹².

So the last electron of erbium enters the f-subshell or f-orbital. 

Hence, erbium is the f-block element.

5 Interesting facts about Erbium

Interesting facts about erbium element are mentioned below.

1. The name “Erbium” came from the name of a small village “Ytterby” of Sweden.
2. The erbium element was discovered by Carl Gustaf Mosander (in 1843).
3. Erbium is not found free in nature, but it is found from its minerals like gadolinite, euxenite, etc.
4. The Erbium element was discovered by Carl Gustaf Mosander (in 1843).
5. The concentration of erbium in the earth’s crust is approximately 3 ppm by weight.

Properties of Erbium

The physical and chemical properties of erbium element are mentioned below.

Physical properties of Erbium

Physical properties of erbium are mentioned below.

• Erbium element is soft and malleable and it has a silvery white metallic surface.
• The atomic mass of erbium is 167.26 u and its density is 9.06 g/cm³.
• The melting point and boiling point of erbium are 1529 °C and 2868 °C respectively.
• The crystal structure of erbium is HCP (Hexagonal close packed).
• Erbium has many isotopes (including natural isotopes as well as synthetic isotopes). But out of those isotopes, the most abundant isotope is ¹⁶⁶Er (having an abundance of approximately 33.5 %).

Chemical properties of Erbium

Chemical properties of erbium are mentioned below.

• Erbium metal is much stable in air at room temperature, and it does not oxidize easily at room temperature.
• Erbium reacts slowly with water and it also dissolves in acids.
• The salts of erbium are light pink in color and they exist as Er³⁺ ions in its compounds.

Uses of Erbium

Uses of erbium are mentioned below.

• Erbium has a good neutron absorbing capacity. Hence it is used as a control rod in nuclear reactors.
• The oxide of the erbium element is used to give pink tint in glasses.
• The hardness of metals can be reduced by adding a small proportion of erbium in it.
• Erbium has some medical applications too. It is used in lasers to treat skin problems.

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External resources:

1. Atomic Data for Erbium (Er). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Erbium (Er). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/erbiumtable1.htm
2. Erbium – Wikipedia. (2009, May 3). Erbium – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbium
3. Erbium – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Erbium – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/68/erbium
4. P. (n.d.). Erbium | Er (Element) – PubChem. Erbium | Er (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Erbium
5. It’s Elemental – The Element Erbium. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Erbium. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele068.html