Neodymium (Nd)
"Magneto, the hero with superhuman magnetic strength, powering everything from headphones to electric cars."
A memorable persona to anchor Nd in your mind.
7.01
Grams per cm³
1016
Celsius (°C)
229
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Neodymium is found in the tiny, powerful magnets in a pair of earbuds or a hard drive.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1885
Discovered By
Carl Auer von Welsbach
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the Greek ''neos didymos'' meaning new twin."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
144.242 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
3074°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f46s2
1st Ionization Energy
5.525 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Neodymium is a soft, silvery-white metal."
Did You Know?
Neodymium magnets (an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron) are the strongest and most powerful type of permanent magnet known.
These powerful magnets are essential components in modern technology, found in headphones, computer hard drives, electric vehicle motors, and wind turbine generators.
Similar to praseodymium, neodymium is used in didymium glass for safety goggles, as it strongly absorbs yellow and green light.
It was named from the Greek words 'neos didymos', meaning 'new twin', because it was so difficult to separate from praseodymium.