Home

Transition Metals + -

Actinide Metals + -

Lanthanide Metals + -

Post-Transition Metals + -

Alkaline Earth Metals + -

Compare Metals


Lanthanum vs Thorium


Thorium vs Lanthanum


Periodic Table

Symbol
La   
Th   

Group Number
Not Available   
0   
18

Period Number
6   
7   

Block
f block   
f block   

Element Family
Lanthanide   
Actinide   

CAS Number
7439910   
99+
7440326   
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
P63/mmc   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
194.00   
5

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Lanthanum metal is highly malleable, ductile and sectile.
  • If exposed to air Lanthanum metal oxidizes rapidly.
  
  • Thorium metal is used as an alternate option over Uranium for nuclear fuel.
  • Thorium metals appearance (silvery white, soft) is somewhat similar to Lead metal.
  

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

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Carl Gustaf Mosander   
Jöns Jakob Berzelius   

Discovery
In 1838   
In 1829   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
2 * 10-7 %   
22
3 * 10-4 %   
9

Abundance In Sun
~0.0000002 %   
25
~0.0004 %   
9

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %   
32
0.05 %   
11

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.00 %   
19
0.66 %   
7

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
29
0.00 %   
15

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.
  
  • Thorium metal is used as an allying agent for Magnesium, It imparts greater strength and resistance to temperature.
  • compound of this metal Thorium oxide is used as an industrial catalyst.
  

Industrial Uses
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   
Aerospace Industry, Automobile Industry, Chemical Industry, Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   

Medical Uses
NA   
Dentistry, Surgical Instruments Manufacturing   

Other Uses
Alloys, Mirror Manufacturing   
Alloys, Jewellery, Sculptures, Statues   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Low Toxic   
Non Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
Not Available   
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
33

In Bone
0.08 p.p.m.   
24
0.02 p.p.m.   
29

Physical Properties

Melting Point
920.00 °C   
99+
1,750.00 °C   
17

Boiling Point
3,469.00 °C   
18
4,790.00 °C   
8

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silvery White   
Silver   

Luster
NA   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
2.50   
14
3.00   
12

Brinell Hardness
350.00 MPa   
30
390.00 MPa   
29

Vickers Hardness
360.00 MPa   
26
295.00 MPa   
29

Speed of Sound
2,475.00 m/s   
37
2,490.00 m/s   
36

Optical Properties
  
  

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   
Th   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
31   
8
28   
11

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.10   
99+
1.30   
32

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.08   
31
1.11   
29

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.90   
10
2.70   
22

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
538.10 kJ/mol   
99+
587.00 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
1,067.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,110.00 kJ/mol   
99+

3rd Energy Level
1,850.30 kJ/mol   
99+
1,978.00 kJ/mol   
99+

4th Energy Level
4,819.00 kJ/mol   
22
2,780.00 kJ/mol   
99+

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

Electrochemical Equivalent
1.73 g/amp-hr   
99+
2.16 g/amp-hr   
24

Electron Work Function
3.50 eV   
31
3.41 eV   
32

Other Chemical Properties
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
57   
99+
90   
28

Electron Configuration
[Xe] 5d2 6s2   
[Rn] 6d2 7s2   

Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)   
Face Centered Cubic (FCC)   

Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Lanthanum.jpg#100   
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Thorium.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
57   
99+
90   
28

Number of Neutrons
82   
99+
142   
15

Number of Electrons
57   
99+
90   
28

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
187.00 pm   
8
179.80 pm   
15

Covalent Radius
207.00 pm   
6
206.00 pm   
7

Van der Waals Radius
240.00 pm   
13
237.00 pm   
15

Atomic Weight
138.91 amu   
99+
232.04 amu   
23

Atomic Volume
20.73 cm3/mol   
16
19.90 cm3/mol   
20

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Barium
  
Actinium
  

Next Element
Cerium
  

Valence Electron Potential
40.71 (-eV)   
99+
59.30 (-eV)   
23

Lattice Constant
377.20 pm   
28
508.42 pm   
14

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

Lattice C/A Ratio
1.62   
2
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
6.16 g/cm3   
99+
11.72 g/cm3   
32

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

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.98 (Pa)   
15
0.00 (Pa)   
22

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
14.30 GPa   
40
31.00 GPa   
21

Bulk Modulus
27.90 GPa   
99+
54.00 GPa   
22

Young's Modulus
36.60 GPa   
99+
79.00 GPa   
24

Poisson Ratio
0.28   
17
0.27   
20

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile   
Ductile   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
6.17   
99+
11.70   
23

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Superconductor   

Resistivity
615.00 nΩ·m   
7
157.00 nΩ·m   
22

Electrical Conductivity
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+
0.07 106/cm Ω   
31

Electron Affinity
48.00 kJ/mol   
23
Not Available   

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.19 J/(kg K)   
32
0.12 J/(kg K)   
40

Molar Heat Capacity
27.11 J/mol·K   
21
26.23 J/mol·K   
30

Thermal Conductivity
13.40 W/m·K   
99+
54.00 W/m·K   
28

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Expansion
12.10 µm/(m·K)   
32
11.00 µm/(m·K)   
36

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
399.60 kJ/mol   
17
429.00 kJ/mol   
15

Enthalpy of Fusion
6.20 kJ/mol   
99+
15.48 kJ/mol   
19

Enthalpy of Atomization
431.00 kJ/mol   
16
468.60 kJ/mol   
15

Standard Molar Entropy
56.90 J/mol.K   
23
27.30 J/mol.K   
99+

Periodic Table >>
<< All

Compare Lanthanide Series

Lanthanide Metals

Lanthanide Metals

» More Lanthanide Metals

Compare Lanthanide Series

» More Compare Lanthanide Series