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yttrium

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

Yttrium is a chemical element with the symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a soft, silvery-metallic transition metal that is found in rare-earth minerals.

Yttrium is not found in nature in its pure form. It is usually found combined with other elements, such as erbium and terbium.

Yttrium is used in a variety of applications, including lasers, magnets, and phosphors. It is also used in the production of some medical isotopes.

How can the word be used?

Yttrium oxide is a white, crystalline solid that is used in lasers and other optical devices.

yttrium

Different forms of the word

Noun:

  • yttrium (a chemical element with the symbol Y and atomic number 39).
  • yttrium oxide (a white, crystalline solid with the formula Y2O3).
  • yttrium chloride (a white, crystalline solid with the formula YCl3).

Adjective:

  • yttrium-based (made from or containing yttrium).
  • yttrium-doped (containing yttrium atoms that have been added to another substance).

Etymology

The word "yttrium" comes from the name of the Swedish town of Ytterby, where it was first discovered. The word "yttrium" is a modern Latin word, coined by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1879. Mosander named the element after Ytterby, a town in Sweden where the mineral ytterbite was found, which contained the new element.

Question

What can yttrium be used for?