Knowra Samarium Samarium Samarium is a silvery, moderately hard rare-earth metal with atomic number 62. Its distinctive magnetic and neutron-absorbing properties make it useful in permanent magnets and nuclear applications.
Samarium–cobalt magnet : A permanent magnet made primarily from samarium and cobalt, valued for high magnetic strength and resistance to heat. This is samarium’s best-known application in high-performance permanent magnets.
Lanthanide contraction : The gradual decrease in atomic and ionic radii across the lanthanide series as nuclear charge increases. It helps explain samarium’s size and its chemical similarities to neighboring lanthanides.
Lanthanide : One of the 15 metallic elements from lanthanum through lutetium, characterized by filling of the 4f subshell. Samarium is a lanthanide, sharing the group’s characteristic chemistry and closely related properties.
Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran : A French chemist who discovered samarium in 1879 while studying the mineral samarskite. He identified samarium spectroscopically and established it as a distinct element.
Neodymium magnet : A powerful permanent magnet made from a neodymium–iron–boron alloy. Neodymium magnets can be stronger, while samarium–cobalt magnets generally tolerate higher temperatures and corrosion better.
Neutron poison : A material that absorbs neutrons and thereby reduces or controls a nuclear chain reaction. Samarium isotopes absorb neutrons, making the element useful in reactor control.
Samarium isotopes : The nuclides of samarium, including stable isotopes and radioactive isotopes such as samarium-147 and samarium-153. Different isotopes underpin samarium’s neutron absorption, radioactive decay, and medical uses.
Periodic table : An arrangement of chemical elements by atomic number that reveals recurring patterns in their properties. Samarium’s position identifies its atomic number and its relationship to neighboring elements.
Spectroscopy : The study of how matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation, often used to identify substances by their spectra. Characteristic spectral lines helped distinguish samarium from other rare-earth elements.
Alnico : A family of permanent magnet alloys made mainly from aluminum, nickel, cobalt, and iron. Alnico offers heat stability but generally lower coercivity than samarium–cobalt magnets.
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