Lanthanide Series of Metals

When you look at the periodic table, you will see two rows that kind of sit off to the bottom. They are part of the whole table, but it is easier to print the table when they are on the bottom. One of those rows is called the lanthanide series. There are a bunch of names you may hear that describe these 15 elements. Some people say lanthanide, some say rare-earth metals, and some say inner-transition elements. No matter what you choose, everyone will know what you mean if you say lanthanide.

Meet the Family

The lanthanide family is comprised of fifteen elements starting with lanthanum (La) at atomic number 57 and finishing up with lutetium (Lu) at number 71 It's doubtful your teachers will ever ask you to remember all of the elements in the series. Just remember lanthanum. You might find some of these elements in superconductors, glass production, or lasers.

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