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samarium

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

Samarium is a chemical element with the symbol Sm and atomic number 62. It is a rare-earth element that is found in the mineral samarskite. Samarium is a silvery-white metal that is soft and ductile. It is also a very strong magnet.

Samarium is used in a variety of applications, including:

  • Magnetic devices: Samarium is used in the production of permanent magnets, such as those used in hard drives and electric motors.
  • Lighting: Samarium is used in the production of fluorescent lamps and high-intensity discharge lamps.
  • Nuclear reactors: Samarium is used in nuclear reactors to control the reaction rate.
  • Medical applications: Samarium is used in medical imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

How can the word be used?

Samarium is used in magnets and lasers.

samarium

Different forms of the word

Noun:

a silvery-white, rare-earth metallic element with the symbol Sm and atomic number 62.

Etymology

The word "samarium" is derived from the name of the mineral samarskite, from which it was first isolated.

The first recorded use of the word "samarium" in English was in 1879.

The word "samarium" is named after the Russian mine official Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets (1745-1814), who gave the ore sample to the German mineralogist Heinrich Rose, who isolated the element.

Question

What can samarium used for?