Christy Ann Joy G.

Fernandez
Gr. 7- Galileo
Science 7- Ms. Canillo

ABOUT THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS

ELEMENTS SYMBOL USES

Scandium is mainly used for research purposes. It has,
however, great potential because it has almost as low a
density as aluminium and a much higher melting point.
An aluminium-scandium alloy has been used in Russian
MIG fighter planes, high-end bicycle frames and baseball
bats.

Scandium Scandium iodide is added to mercury vapour lamps to

produce a highly efficient light source resembling
sunlight. These lamps help television cameras to
reproduce colour well when filming indoors or at night-
time.

The radioactive isotope scandium-46 is used as a tracer

in oil refining to monitor the movement of various
fractions. It can also be used in underground pipes to
detect leaks.

Yttrium is often used as an additive in alloys. It increases

the strength of aluminium and magnesium alloys. It is
also used in the making of microwave filters for radar and
has been used as a catalyst in ethene polymerisation.

Yttrium-aluminium garnet (YAG) is used in lasers that can

cut through metals. It is also used in white LED lights.
Yttrium
Yttrium oxide is added to the glass used to make camera
lenses to make them heat and shock resistant. It is also
used to make superconductors. Yttrium oxysulfide used
to be widely used to produce red phosphors for old-style
colour television tubes.

The radioactive isotope yttrium-90 has medical uses. It

can be used to treat some cancers, such as liver cancer.
 Lanthanum metal has no commercial uses. However, its
alloys have a variety of uses. A lanthanum-nickel alloy is
used to store hydrogen gas for use in hydrogen-powered
vehicles. Lanthanum is also found in the anode of nickel
metal hydride batteries used in hybrid cars.

Lanthanum is an important component of mischmetal

alloy (about 20%). The best-known use for this alloy is in
‘flints’ for cigarette lighters.

‘Rare earth’ compounds containing lanthanum are used

extensively in carbon lighting applications, such as studio
Lanthanum lighting and cinema projection. They increase the
brightness and give an emission spectrum similar to
sunlight.

Lanthanum (III) oxide is used in making special optical

glasses, as it improves the optical properties and alkali
resistance of the glass. Lanthanum salts are used in
catalysts for petroleum refining.

The ion La3+ is used as a biological tracer for Ca2+, and

radioactive lanthanum has been tested for use in treating
cancer.