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Questions tagged [rare-earth-elements]

According to the IUPAC, the rare earth elements are a group that comprises the fifteen lanthanoides (La to Lu), Y and Sc. These elements are commonly grouped together due to the similarity in their chemical properties.

2 votes
0 answers
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Why is there anomalous trend in third ionization energy for Pr-Pm and Dy-Er?

It is not hard to observe the anomalously flat regions at Pr-Pm and Dy-Er in the trend of IE3 of lanthanides:, each described as the "first quarter" and "third quarter". Why is ...
chikako's user avatar
  • 59
2 votes
1 answer
114 views

What is the purpose of the reflux ratio for solvent extraction?

Not distillation If I understand it correctly, in my example, one has two components, A and B, starting at the "feed" in the aqueous phase. They get both extracted in the mixer settler, but ...
P M's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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The separation of lanthanum oxide and chromium oxide

I have encountered a problem. How can I separate the alloy of lanthanum oxide and chromium oxide? I attempted to dissolve them in concentrated sulfuric acid with heating, but it didn't work. If I had ...
Tima's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
543 views

f-f transitions and their cause

I was looking at this question: How can f-f transitions happen? And got some answers that answered some of the questions I had, but not all. I am still trying to conceptually grasp why f-f transitions ...
Mäßige's user avatar
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-2 votes
1 answer
111 views

What do we use Rare Earth Elements/ lanthanides for in geochemistry? [closed]

What kind of things are lanthanides used for in geochemical studies in terms of high temperature igneous systems and dating rocks from the earth, moon, and solar system?
Emma's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
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Measuring Rare Earth Element Concentration in a Solution

I am interested in repeating the experiment as detailed in this paper: Study on Rare Earth Elements Leaching from Magnetic Coal Fly Ash by Citric Acid In the paper, coal fly ash is leached by citric ...
rubpy32's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

What are observationally stable elements?

According to Wikipedia, a lot of the elements that have higher atomic numbers than dysprosium have isotopes that say "Observationally stable" instead of stable, for example in Isotopes of ...
Praseodymium-141's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
413 views

Why do the lanthanides usually use the +3 oxidation state?

This might seem like a silly question, but why do all of the lanthanides use the +3 oxidation state? I know that some of them can use the +2 (europium, ytterbium) and the +4 (terbium, cerium, ...
Praseodymium-141's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
468 views

How many elements have been identified for which there are no known spectral lines?

Background: @ProfRob's answer to If there were undiscovered elements (119 on) in a star's spectral lines, could we tell? in Physics SE begins: I think that would be very difficult indeed. ...
uhoh's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
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In Lanthanides, Why is electron removed from 4f before 5p? [duplicate]

I've been taught that electrons are removed first from valence shell electrons with highest energy. But In Lanthanides, for example taking configuration- [Xe]4f⁴6s², If we go to +3 Oxidation State, ...
Shyam's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
707 views

Why are the rare Earth elements divided into light and heavy categories?

Rare Earth's up to z=62 (Samarium) are often called 'light' rare Earths, while z=63 (Europium) and beyond are sometimes referred to as 'heavy' ones. Why such distinction? I didn't have come across (or ...
Kurt Hikes's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
186 views

Why can’t lanthanum through lutetium and actinium through lawrencium all be in group 3?

In 2015, IUPAC established a task force to “deliver a recommendation in favor of the composition of group 3 of the periodic table.” Not much about their decision-making process has been made known to ...
gen-ℤ ready to perish's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
63 views

Why do the lanthanides and actinides have a 5d and 6d orbital, respectively? [duplicate]

I was taught in school that the rare earth metals were the $\mathrm{f}$-orbital group. Additionally, the Aufbau principle states that the order of orbitals based on energy levels is $\mathrm{6s4f5d}$ ...
convertedquorauser's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
74 views

To what degree can the Rare Earth Elements be interchanged in its workaday applications?

In their humdrum pedestrian "high-tech applications due to their unique magnetic properties", how interchangeable are the Rare-Earth Elements (REEs) if, e.g., the US lacks one of them? RRautamaa ...
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2 votes
1 answer
13k views

Magnetic moment of trivalent lanthanide cations

The effective magnetic moment $\mu_{\mathrm{eff}}$ of tripositive rare earth elements, is calculated by $$\mu_{\mathrm{eff}}=g_J\sqrt{J(J+1)}\mu_\mathrm{B}$$ Why can't we use normal formula as $\sqrt{...
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