Holmium-Discovery, Properties, And Applications

Holmium (Ho) is a chemical element that belongs to the lanthanide series of elements. It has the atomic number 67 and is represented by the symbol Ho. Holmium is a soft and malleable silvery-white metal that is relatively stable in dry air at room temperature.

Property	Value
Name	Holmium
Symbol	Ho
Atomic number	67
Relative atomic mass (Ar)	164.93033
Standard state	Solid at 298 K
Appearance	Silvery white
Classification	Metallic
The group in the periodic table
Group name	Lanthanoid
Group in the periodic table	6 (lanthanoid)
Period in the periodic table	f
Shell structure	2.8.18.29.8.2
CAS Registry	7440-60-0

Discovery

Holmium was discovered in 1878 by Swiss chemists Marc Delafontaine and Jacques-Louis Soret. They analyzed the mineral erbium orthophosphate and found two new elements, holmium, and thulium.

Physical Properties

Holmium is a soft, silvery-white metal that is relatively stable in dry air at room temperature. It is malleable and ductile and has a metallic luster. Holmium has a melting point of 1,465°C and a boiling point of 2,700°C. It is paramagnetic at room temperature, meaning that it is weakly attracted to a magnetic field.

Chemical Properties

Holmium is a rare earth element, and as such, it has similar chemical properties to other lanthanides. It is reactive and readily forms compounds with most non-metals. Holmium is also known to have the highest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring element.

Facts

Holmium has a number of interesting properties and applications. It is commonly used as a dopant in fiber optic amplifiers, as well as in nuclear control rods. Holmium is also used in magnetic data storage and in the production of some electronic components. Additionally, holmium has medical applications, as it is sometimes used in nuclear medicine for imaging and therapy.

Applications

Holmium is used in a number of industrial and scientific applications. One of its most important applications is in fiber optic amplifiers, where it is used as a dopant to enhance the performance of the amplifiers. Holmium is also used in magnetic data storage and in the production of electronic components. In addition, holmium has medical applications, as it can be used in nuclear medicine for imaging and therapy.

Holmium is a rare earth metal with interesting physical and chemical properties. It has a number of important applications in the fields of fiber optic amplifiers, magnetic data storage, and electronic components, as well as in medical imaging and therapy.