Yttrium Facts for Kids

Yttrium is a special kind of chemical element and a metal. It's number 39 on the periodic table, which is like a big chart of all the elements. Yttrium looks silvery-white and often forms shiny crystals.

When yttrium is in a solid piece, it doesn't react much with the air around it. But if you grind it into a fine powder, it can actually catch fire and burn if it gets hot enough, around 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit). Yttrium is used in many cool things, like lasers, old-style TV screens, and even in making other metals stronger.

Periodic table

Alkaline earth metals

Poor metals

Other nonmetals

What is Yttrium?
- How Yttrium Looks and Behaves
Uses of Yttrium
Where Yttrium Comes From
Images for kids
See also

What is Yttrium?

Yttrium is a rare-earth metal. This means it's one of a group of 17 elements that are found together in the Earth's crust. They are called "rare" because they are not often found in large, easy-to-mine deposits. Yttrium was first discovered in 1794 by a Finnish chemist named Johan Gadolin. He found it in a mineral from a mine in Sweden.

How Yttrium Looks and Behaves

Yttrium is a soft, silvery-white metal. It can be shaped easily. When it's exposed to air, it forms a thin layer on its surface. This layer protects the metal underneath from further reactions. This is similar to how aluminum forms a protective layer.

Yttrium is a good conductor of electricity. It also conducts heat well. It is known for being quite stable. This means it doesn't easily combine with other substances. However, as a powder, it can be more reactive.

Uses of Yttrium

Yttrium is a very useful element. It has many different applications in technology and industry.

In Electronics and Screens

One of the most famous uses for yttrium was in older CRT televisions. It was a key part of the red color in the screen. When electrons hit yttrium compounds, they glowed a bright red. This made the colors on the TV screen vibrant.

Yttrium is also used in some types of lasers. For example, it's used in "Nd:YAG lasers." These lasers are very powerful. They are used in many ways, like cutting materials, in surgery, and even in tattoo removal.

Making Stronger Materials

Yttrium can be added to other metals to make them stronger. This process is called metallurgy. For instance, adding yttrium to aluminum or magnesium alloys makes them more resistant to heat. This is important for parts used in airplanes or other high-temperature machines.

It is also used in special materials called superconductors. These materials can carry electricity with no loss of energy. One famous superconductor is called YBCO. It contains yttrium, barium, copper, and oxygen. Superconductors have potential uses in things like super-fast trains and powerful magnets.

Other Interesting Uses

Yttrium is used in some types of special glass. This glass can be very strong and resistant to heat. It is also used in some medical treatments. For example, it can be used in radiation therapy for certain cancers.

Scientists also use yttrium in research. It helps them understand how other rare-earth elements behave. It is an important part of many new technologies being developed today.

Where Yttrium Comes From

Yttrium is not found as a pure metal in nature. Instead, it is found in minerals. These minerals are usually mixed with other rare-earth elements. Some common minerals that contain yttrium include xenotime and monazite.

Mining these minerals is the first step. Then, yttrium must be separated from the other elements. This can be a difficult and complex process. It requires special chemical methods to get pure yttrium.

Images for kids

Left: Soluble yttrium salts react with carbonate, forming white precipitate yttrium carbonate. Right: Yttrium carbonate is soluble in excess alkali metal carbonate solution.
Mira is an example of the type of red giant star in which most of the yttrium in the solar system was created.
Johan Gadolin discovered yttrium oxide.
Xenotime crystals contain yttrium.
A piece of yttrium. Yttrium is difficult to separate from other rare-earth elements.
Yttrium is one of the elements that was used to make the red color in CRT televisions.
Nd:YAG laser rod 0.5 cm in diameter.
YBCO superconductor.