Scandium (Sc)
"The Alloy Ace, a rare hero who makes other metals super-strong, the secret weapon of fighter jets."
A memorable persona to anchor Sc in your mind.
2.985
Grams per cm³
1541
Celsius (°C)
211
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
High-end, lightweight bicycle frames.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1879
Discovered By
Lars Fredrik Nilson
Origin of Name
"The name derives from ''Scandia'', the Latin name for Scandinavia."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
44.956 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
2836°C
Electron Configuration
[Ar] 3d14s2
1st Ionization Energy
6.561 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A soft, silvery-white metallic element."
Did You Know?
The existence and properties of scandium were predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev five years before it was actually discovered; he called it 'ekaboron'.
Adding a small amount of scandium to aluminium creates an alloy that is exceptionally strong and lightweight, used in fighter jets and high-end bicycle frames.
Scandium is more abundant in the Moon's crust than it is on Earth.
The bright, white light in stadium lamps often comes from scandium iodide being added to mercury-vapor lamps.