Symbol
La
  
Ca
  
Group Number
Not Available
  
Period Number
6
  
4
  
Block
f block
  
s block
  
Element Family
Lanthanide
  
Alkaline Earth
  
Space Group Name
P63/mmc
  
Fm_ 3m
  
Interesting Facts
- Lanthanum metal is highly malleable, ductile and sectile.
- If exposed to air Lanthanum metal oxidizes rapidly.
  
- Calcium ranks 5th rank in the list of earth’s abundance Percentage.
- It is found in the compound state.
- Gypsum or calcium sulfate is used as plaster and plaster of paris.
  
Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals
  
Earth's crust, Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals
  
History
  
  
Who Discovered
Carl Gustaf Mosander
  
Humphry Davy
  
Discovery
In 1838
  
In 1808
  
Abundance
  
  
Abundance In Sun
~0.0000002 %
  
25
Abundance In Earth's Crust
Abundance In Humans
Not Available
  
Uses & Benefits
- It has no commercial uses, but its alloys are in high demand. Lanthanum and Nickel alloy is used for the hydrogen gas storage.
- The best-known use for mischmetal alloy of Lanthanum is; as a ‘flints’ for cigarette lighters.
  
- It is used as a reducing agent while preparing metals like thorium and uranium. It is also used as an alloying agent for metals such as aluminum, copper & lead.
- Calcium carbonate or lime stone is used in cement.
  
Industrial Uses
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry
  
Chemical Industry
  
Medical Uses
NA
  
Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Industry
  
Other Uses
Alloys, Mirror Manufacturing
  
Alloys
  
Biological Properties
  
  
Toxicity
Low Toxic
  
Non Toxic
  
Present in Human Body
Yes
  
Yes
  
In Blood
Not Available
  
60.50 Blood/mg dm-3
  
4
In Bone
0.08 p.p.m.
  
24
170,000.00 p.p.m.
  
1
Boiling Point
3,469.00 °C
  
18
1,484.00 °C
  
99+
Appearance
  
  
Physical State
Solid
  
Solid
  
Color
Silvery White
  
Gray
  
Luster
NA
  
NA
  
Hardness
  
  
Brinell Hardness
170.00 MPa
  
99+
Vickers Hardness
Not Available
  
Speed of Sound
2,475.00 m/s
  
37
3,810.00 m/s
  
19
Optical Properties
  
  
Allotropes
No
  
No
  
α Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
β Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
γ Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Chemical Formula
La
  
Ca
  
Isotopes
  
  
Electronegativity
  
  
Pauling Electronegativity
Sanderson Electronegativity
Not Available
  
Allred Rochow Electronegativity
Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
Not Available
  
Allen Electronegativity
Not Available
  
Electropositivity
  
  
Pauling Electropositivity
Ionization Energies
  
  
1st Energy Level
538.10 kJ/mol
  
99+
589.80 kJ/mol
  
99+
2nd Energy Level
1,067.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
1,145.40 kJ/mol
  
99+
3rd Energy Level
1,850.30 kJ/mol
  
99+
4,912.40 kJ/mol
  
7
4th Energy Level
4,819.00 kJ/mol
  
22
6,491.00 kJ/mol
  
7
5th Energy Level
5,940.00 kJ/mol
  
25
8,153.00 kJ/mol
  
7
6th Energy Level
Not Available
  
10,496.00 kJ/mol
  
8
7th Energy level
Not Available
  
12,270.00 kJ/mol
  
12
8th Energy Level
Not Available
  
14,206.00 kJ/mol
  
15
9th Energy Level
Not Available
  
18,191.00 kJ/mol
  
12
10th Energy Level
Not Available
  
20,385.00 kJ/mol
  
16
11th Energy Level
Not Available
  
57,110.00 kJ/mol
  
3
12th Energy Level
Not Available
  
63,410.00 kJ/mol
  
3
13th Energy Level
Not Available
  
70,110.00 kJ/mol
  
3
14th Energy Level
Not Available
  
78,890.00 kJ/mol
  
4
15th Energy Level
Not Available
  
86,310.00 kJ/mol
  
5
16th Energy Level
Not Available
  
94,000.00 kJ/mol
  
6
17th Energy Level
Not Available
  
104,900.00 kJ/mol
  
7
18th Energy Level
Not Available
  
111,711.00 kJ/mol
  
8
Electrochemical Equivalent
1.73 g/amp-hr
  
99+
0.75 g/amp-hr
  
99+
Other Chemical Properties
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility
  
Chemical Stability, Flammability, Ionization, Solubility
  
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 5d2 6s2
  
[Ar] 4s2
  
Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
  
Face Centered Cubic (FCC)
  
Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Lanthanum.jpg#100
  
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Calcium.jpg#100
  
Atom
  
  
Radius of an Atom
  
  
Atomic Weight
138.91 amu
  
99+
Atomic Volume
20.73 cm3/mol
  
16
29.90 cm3/mol
  
7
Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  
Valence Electron Potential
40.71 (-eV)
  
99+
29.00 (-eV)
  
99+
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
  
π/2, π/2, π/2
  
Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available
  
Density
  
  
Density At Room Temperature
6.16 g/cm
3
  
99+
1.55 g/cm
3
  
99+
Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
5.94 g/cm3
  
99+
1.38 g/cm3
  
99+
Tensile Strength
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Viscosity
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Vapor Pressure
  
  
Vapor Pressure at 1000 K
Not Available
  
Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
Not Available
  
Elasticity properties
  
  
Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile
  
NA
  
Magnetic Characteristics
  
  
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
  
Diamagnetic
  
Electrical Properties
  
  
Electrical Property
Conductor
  
Conductor
  
Resistivity
33.60 nΩ·m
  
99+
Electrical Conductivity
0.01 10
6/cm Ω
  
99+
0.30 10
6/cm Ω
  
6
Electron Affinity
48.00 kJ/mol
  
23
2.37 kJ/mol
  
39
Specific Heat
0.19 J/(kg K)
  
32
0.63 J/(kg K)
  
7
Molar Heat Capacity
27.11 J/mol·K
  
21
25.93 J/mol·K
  
34
Thermal Conductivity
13.40 W/m·K
  
99+
201.00 W/m·K
  
5
Critical Temperature
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Expansion
12.10 µm/(m·K)
  
32
22.30 µm/(m·K)
  
19
Enthalpy
  
  
Enthalpy of Vaporization
399.60 kJ/mol
  
17
150.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
Enthalpy of Fusion
6.20 kJ/mol
  
99+
8.54 kJ/mol
  
99+
Enthalpy of Atomization
431.00 kJ/mol
  
16
184.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
Standard Molar Entropy
56.90 J/mol.K
  
23
41.60 J/mol.K
  
36