Home

Transition Metals + -

Actinide Metals + -

Lanthanide Metals + -

Post-Transition Metals + -

Alkaline Earth Metals + -

Compare Metals


Lanthanum vs Mercury


Mercury vs Lanthanum


Periodic Table

Symbol
La   
Hg   

Group Number
Not Available   
12   
6

Period Number
6   
6   

Block
f block   
d block   

Element Family
Lanthanide   
Transition Metal   

CAS Number
7439910   
99+
7439976   
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
R_ 3m   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
166.00   
6

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Lanthanum metal is highly malleable, ductile and sectile.
  • If exposed to air Lanthanum metal oxidizes rapidly.
  
  • At room temperature mercury is found in a liquid state.
  • A coin of pound or rupees floats in mercury.
  • Because of its low melting point and boiling point it is used in thermometers.
  

Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals   
Mining, Ores of Minerals   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Carl Gustaf Mosander   
Ancient Chinese and Indians   

Discovery
In 1838   
Before 2000 BCE   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
2 * 10-7 %   
22
Not Available   

Abundance In Sun
~0.0000002 %   
25
~-9999 %   

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %   
32
Not Available   

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.00 %   
19
0.05 %   
9

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
29
Not Available   

Uses

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 a liquid metal at room temperature, but it is a toxic heavy metal and hence many uses of mercury are under review or phased out.
  • It is manly used as a catalysts in chemical industry.
  

Industrial Uses
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   

Medical Uses
NA   
Dentistry   

Other Uses
Alloys, Mirror Manufacturing   
Alloys, Mirror Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Industry   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Low Toxic   
Highly Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
Not Available   
0.01 Blood/mg dm-3   
23

In Bone
0.08 p.p.m.   
24
0.45 p.p.m.   
19

Physical Properties

Melting Point
920.00 °C   
99+
Not Available   

Boiling Point
3,469.00 °C   
18
356.58 °C   
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Liquid   

Color
Silvery White   
Silver   

Luster
NA   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
2.50   
14
Not Available   

Brinell Hardness
350.00 MPa   
30
Not Available   

Vickers Hardness
360.00 MPa   
26
Not Available   

Speed of Sound
2,475.00 m/s   
37
1,451.40 m/s   
99+

Optical Properties
  
  

Refractive Index
Not Available   
1.00   
3

Reflectivity
Not Available   
73.00 %   
8

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
La   
Hg   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
31   
8
34   
5

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.10   
99+
2.00   
7

Sanderson Electronegativity
Not Available   
2.20   
7

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.08   
31
1.44   
17

Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
Not Available   
1.81   
9

Allen Electronegativity
Not Available   
1.44   
30

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.90   
10
2.00   
99+

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
538.10 kJ/mol   
99+
1,007.10 kJ/mol   
4

2nd Energy Level
1,067.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,810.00 kJ/mol   
20

3rd Energy Level
1,850.30 kJ/mol   
99+
3,300.00 kJ/mol   
20

4th Energy Level
4,819.00 kJ/mol   
22
Not Available   

5th Energy Level
5,940.00 kJ/mol   
25
Not Available   

Electrochemical Equivalent
1.73 g/amp-hr   
99+
3.74 g/amp-hr   
10

Electron Work Function
3.50 eV   
31
4.49 eV   
15

Other Chemical Properties
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   
Flammability, Ionization, Solubility   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
57   
99+
80   
36

Electron Configuration
[Xe] 5d2 6s2   
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2   

Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)   
Rhombohedral (RHO)   

Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Lanthanum.jpg#100   
RHO-Crystal-Structure-of-Mercury.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
57   
99+
80   
36

Number of Neutrons
82   
99+
121   
22

Number of Electrons
57   
99+
80   
36

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
187.00 pm   
8
151.00 pm   
32

Covalent Radius
207.00 pm   
6
132.00 pm   
99+

Van der Waals Radius
240.00 pm   
13
155.00 pm   
99+

Atomic Weight
138.91 amu   
99+
200.59 amu   
32

Atomic Volume
20.73 cm3/mol   
16
14.82 cm3/mol   
35

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Barium
  
Gold
  

Next Element
Cerium
  
Thallium
  

Valence Electron Potential
40.71 (-eV)   
99+
28.20 (-eV)   
99+

Lattice Constant
377.20 pm   
28
300.50 pm   
99+

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3   
NA   

Lattice C/A Ratio
1.62   
2
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
6.16 g/cm3   
99+
13.53 g/cm3   
24

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
5.94 g/cm3   
99+
Not Available   

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
0.00   
1

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.98 (Pa)   
15
Not Available   

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
14.30 GPa   
40
Not Available   

Bulk Modulus
27.90 GPa   
99+
Not Available   

Young's Modulus
36.60 GPa   
99+
Not Available   

Poisson Ratio
0.28   
17
Not Available   

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile   
NA   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
6.17   
99+
13.53   
16

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Diamagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
615.00 nΩ·m   
7
961.00 nΩ·m   
1

Electrical Conductivity
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+

Electron Affinity
48.00 kJ/mol   
23
0.00 kJ/mol   
40

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.19 J/(kg K)   
32
0.14 J/(kg K)   
38

Molar Heat Capacity
27.11 J/mol·K   
21
27.98 J/mol·K   
13

Thermal Conductivity
13.40 W/m·K   
99+
8.30 W/m·K   
99+

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
1,750.00 K   
6

Thermal Expansion
12.10 µm/(m·K)   
32
60.40 µm/(m·K)   
5

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
399.60 kJ/mol   
17
56.90 kJ/mol   
99+

Enthalpy of Fusion
6.20 kJ/mol   
99+
2.29 kJ/mol   
99+

Enthalpy of Atomization
431.00 kJ/mol   
16
61.50 kJ/mol   
99+

Standard Molar Entropy
56.90 J/mol.K   
23
75.80 J/mol.K   
6

Periodic Table >>
<< All

Compare Lanthanide Series

Lanthanide Metals

Lanthanide Metals

» More Lanthanide Metals

Compare Lanthanide Series

» More Compare Lanthanide Series