Eddygp
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Starting with the Rare Earths
I would like to start doing chemistry with some of the lanthanides (rare earth metals, I mean), but I want to know with which metals should I begin
doing this chemistry. A friend of mine told me ytterbium was interesting to start with...
Which salts should I buy? Any ideas for interesting experiments (and preferably a bit easy?)?
Thanks!!
[Edited on 22-4-2012 by Eddygp]
there may be bugs in gfind
[ˌɛdidʒiˈpiː] IPA pronunciation for my Username |
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elementcollector1
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neodymium compounds and their amazing ability to change color depending on light source.
That's all I can think of...
Elements Collected:52/87
Latest Acquired: Cl
Next in Line: Nd
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Pyridinium
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Easiest / commonest one that comes to mind... cerium. Might as well start with that one.
And maybe you could make some cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate... nice bright colored compound, useful in analysis.
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Eddygp
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Thanks for the help! Any properties of the salts that may be interesting to see?
there may be bugs in gfind
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LanthanumK
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Several of the rare earth elements have interesting fluorescence properties. Terfenol-D is an interesting rare earth alloy that expands in a magnetic
field. Ytterbium is used as a detector for earthquakes and other high stresses because it changes resistance.
hibernating...
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blogfast25
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Try extracting the neodymium from neo magnets, very hands on and quite satisfying, not to mention quite cheap to do. A long thread on that here:
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=14145
[Edited on 24-4-2012 by blogfast25]
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Eddygp
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Thanks to all of you!
there may be bugs in gfind
[ˌɛdidʒiˈpiː] IPA pronunciation for my Username |
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Dennis SK
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Dysprosium salts are paramagnetic!
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nezza
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Indeed. Here's a short video showing paramagnetism in Dysprosium sulphate.
Attachment: Paramagnetism.wmv (1.5MB)
This file has been downloaded 555 times
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bfesser
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Sorry
to dig up an old thread, but when I first read this, I thought it sounded a little sensational. Perhaps a clarification is in order:<a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ytterbium#Others" target="_blank"> | Quote: | | Ytterbium metal increases its electrical resistivity when subjected to high stresses. This property is used in stress gauges to monitor ground
deformations from earthquakes and explosions. <img src="../scipics/_wiki.png" /> |
</a>
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