Thulium Facts for Kids

Thulium

Thulium is a chemical element with the symbol Tm and atomic number 69. It is a soft, silvery-gray metal. Thulium belongs to a special group of elements called lanthanides, which are also known as rare earth elements. It is one of the rarest elements found on Earth.

What Is Thulium?
Where Is Thulium Found?
How Was Thulium Discovered?
What Is Thulium Used For?
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What Is Thulium?

Thulium is a metal that can be cut with a knife. It is part of the periodic table, which organizes all known chemical elements. Each element has a unique atomic number, and for thulium, that number is 69. This number tells us how many protons are in the nucleus of a thulium atom.

Where Is Thulium Found?

Thulium is not found by itself in nature. Instead, it is found in very small amounts mixed within other minerals. One of the main minerals where thulium can be found is called Monazite. Other minerals like bastnäsite also contain tiny amounts of thulium. These minerals are mostly found in countries like China, the United States, Brazil, and India.

How Was Thulium Discovered?

Thulium was discovered in 1879 by a Swedish chemist named Per Teodor Cleve. He was working with a mineral called erbia, which was thought to be a single element. Cleve managed to separate two new elements from erbia. He named one of them thulium. The name "thulium" comes from "Thule," which was an ancient name for Scandinavia.

What Is Thulium Used For?

Even though thulium is rare, it has some important uses, especially in technology and medicine.

Thulium in Lasers

One of the main uses for thulium is in making special lasers. These lasers are often used in medical procedures. For example, thulium lasers can be used in surgery because they are very precise. They help doctors perform operations with less damage to surrounding tissues.

Portable X-ray Machines

Thulium can also be used in portable X-ray machines. When a special form of thulium (called thulium-170) is exposed to radiation, it can produce X-rays. This makes it useful for small, handheld X-ray devices. These devices are helpful in places where large, traditional X-ray machines are not available, like in remote areas or for quick checks.

Other Uses for Thulium

Thulium is sometimes used in other ways too. It can be used as a colorant to give a green color to glass. It is also used in some types of ceramics. Because it is so rare and expensive, its uses are usually limited to very specific and important applications.

Periodic table