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Thorium vs Lanthanum


Lanthanum vs Thorium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Th   
La   

Group Number
0   
18
Not Available   

Period Number
7   
6   

Block
f block   
f block   

Element Family
Actinide   
Lanthanide   

CAS Number
7440326   
99+
7439910   
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
P63/mmc   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
194.00   
5

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • 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.
  
  • Lanthanum metal is highly malleable, ductile and sectile.
  • If exposed to air Lanthanum metal oxidizes rapidly.
  

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

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Jöns Jakob Berzelius   
Carl Gustaf Mosander   

Discovery
In 1829   
In 1838   

Abundance
  
  

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

Abundance In Sun
~0.0004 %   
9
~0.0000002 %   
25

Abundance In Meteorites
0.05 %   
11
0.00 %   
32

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

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
15
0.00 %   
29

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • 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.
  
  • 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.
  

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

Medical Uses
Dentistry, Surgical Instruments Manufacturing   
NA   

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

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Non Toxic   
Low Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

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

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

Physical Properties

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

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

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silver   
Silvery White   

Luster
NA   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
3.00   
12
2.50   
14

Brinell Hardness
390.00 MPa   
29
350.00 MPa   
30

Vickers Hardness
295.00 MPa   
29
360.00 MPa   
26

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

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
Th   
La   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
28   
11
31   
8

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.30   
32
1.10   
99+

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.11   
29
1.08   
31

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.70   
22
2.90   
10

Ionization Energies
  
  

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

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

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

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

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

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

Electron Work Function
3.41 eV   
32
3.50 eV   
31

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

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
90   
28
57   
99+

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

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

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

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
90   
28
57   
99+

Number of Neutrons
142   
15
82   
99+

Number of Electrons
90   
28
57   
99+

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
179.80 pm   
15
187.00 pm   
8

Covalent Radius
206.00 pm   
7
207.00 pm   
6

Van der Waals Radius
237.00 pm   
15
240.00 pm   
13

Atomic Weight
232.04 amu   
23
138.91 amu   
99+

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

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Actinium
  
Barium
  

Next Element
Cerium
  

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

Lattice Constant
508.42 pm   
14
377.20 pm   
28

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

Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available   
1.62   
2

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

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

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

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

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

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
31.00 GPa   
21
14.30 GPa   
40

Bulk Modulus
54.00 GPa   
22
27.90 GPa   
99+

Young's Modulus
79.00 GPa   
24
36.60 GPa   
99+

Poisson Ratio
0.27   
20
0.28   
17

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile   
Ductile   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
11.70   
23
6.17   
99+

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Superconductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
157.00 nΩ·m   
22
615.00 nΩ·m   
7

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

Electron Affinity
Not Available   
48.00 kJ/mol   
23

Thermal Properties

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

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

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

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

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

Enthalpy
  
  

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

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

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

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

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