Yttrium

Symbol: Y
Atomic number: 39
Category: transition metals
Group: 3
Period: 5
Block: d
Atomic weight: 88.90585 g/mol
Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 9, 2
CAS number: 7440-65-5
Phase: solid
Density: 4.472 kg/dm³ (near room temperature)
Melting point: 1799 K (1526 °C, 2779 °F)
Boiling point: 3609 K (3336 °C, 6037 °F)
Crystal structure: hexagonal
Oxidation states: 3, 2, 1
Electronegativity: 1.22 (Pauling scale)
Name's origin: Ytterby
Name's meaning: a Swedish village which was the finding location of the mineral ytterbite
Facts:
- is almost always found combined with the lanthanoids in rare earth minerals and is never found in nature as a free element
- the most important use of yttrium is in making phosphors, such as the red ones used in television cathode ray tube displays and in LEDs
- is a rare earth element along with scandium and the lanthanides