Ho
Holmium
Atomic number: 67Mass: 164.93 uCategory: Lanthanide
About Holmium
Holmium is a part of the lanthanide series. It is a rare-earth element and has the highest magnetic moment of any naturally occurring element. It is named after Holmia, the Latinized name for Stockholm.
Properties
Period
6
Group
N/A
Block
F
Category
Lanthanide
Electronegativity
1.23 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
581 kJ/mol
Melting Point
1734 K (1461°C)
Boiling Point
2993 K (2720°C)
Density
8.795 g/cm³
Oxidation States
+3
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹¹ 5s² 5p⁶ 6s²
[Xe] 4f¹¹ 6s²
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:18e⁻
Shell 4:29e⁻
Shell 5:8e⁻
Shell 6:2e⁻
Real-World Uses
Pole pieces for magnets
Surgical lasers
Nuclear reactor control rods
Yttrium iron garnets
Calibrating spectrophotometers
Fun Fact
Holmium has the strongest magnetic moment of any element — which makes it useful for creating the most powerful magnetic fields in labs!