Europium (Eu)
"The Red-Light, the hero who brought bright, true red to color television screens."
A memorable persona to anchor Eu in your mind.
5.264
Grams per cm³
822
Celsius (°C)
233
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Europium is found in the red phosphor in an old cathode-ray tube television screen.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1901
Discovered By
Eugène-Anatole Demarçay
Origin of Name
"Europium is named after Europe"
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
151.964 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
1529°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f76s2
1st Ionization Energy
5.67 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Europium is a soft, silvery, highly reactive metal."
Did You Know?
It is the most reactive of all the rare earth elements; it tarnishes quickly in air and reacts with water similarly to calcium.
Europium is responsible for the red phosphor in old cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions, which was essential for creating a full-color picture.
The anti-counterfeiting security feature on Euro banknotes uses a europium-based phosphor that glows red under UV light.
It is named after the continent of Europe.