Praseodymium facts for kids

Praseodymium-colored glass

Praseodymium is a special kind of element you can find on the periodic table. Its symbol is Pr. It's number 59 on the table, which means each atom of Praseodymium has 59 protons.

This element is a soft, shiny, silvery metal. It can be used to make salts that are yellow-green. Praseodymium is also mixed with magnesium to create a very strong metal, often used in parts for aircraft engines. It's also famous for giving a green color to glass and is used in special lights.

What is Praseodymium?

Praseodymium is one of the "rare earth" elements. These elements are not actually very rare in the Earth's crust, but they are hard to find in large, pure amounts. Praseodymium is a metal that reacts with air and water, so it's usually stored in oil or sealed containers to keep it safe.

How Was Praseodymium Found?

Praseodymium was first discovered in 1885 by an Austrian chemist named Carl Auer von Welsbach. He was working with a substance called didymium, which people thought was a single element. However, Carl Auer von Welsbach found that didymium was actually made of two different elements. He separated them and named one of them Praseodymium. The other element he found was Neodymium.

Where is Praseodymium Used?

Praseodymium has several cool uses:

• Coloring Glass: It's used to make glass and ceramics a beautiful green color. This is why you might see green lenses in some safety goggles or special glass items.
• Strong Metals: When mixed with other metals like magnesium, it makes very strong and light alloys. These alloys are important for things like aircraft engines because they need to be tough but not heavy.
• Lights and Lasers: Praseodymium is also used in electrodes for special lights, like carbon arc lights, which are very bright. It can also be found in some types of lasers.
• Magnets: It's sometimes used in strong magnets, especially when combined with other rare earth elements.

Where Can We Find Praseodymium?

Praseodymium is not found by itself in nature. Instead, it's usually found mixed with other elements in certain minerals. These minerals are often found in sands called monazite sands. You can find these sands in places like Florida and California in the United States, as well as in India and Brazil.

Images for kids

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  Praseodymium(III) hydroxide

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  Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858–1929), who discovered praseodymium in 1885.