Lanthanides and Actinides - 2101 Words

Lanthanides and Actinides The lanthanides and the actinides make up the f block of the periodic table. The lanthanides are the elements produced as the 4f sub level is filled with electrons and the actinides are formed while filling the 5f sub level Some significant similarities and differences between lanthanides and actinides are observed. The two rows that are generally placed underneath the main periodic table are called the lanthanides series and the actinides series. These two rows are produced when electrons are being added to f orbitals. Therefore this block of elements are referred to as the f block. The lanthanides are also occasionally referred to the rare earth elements. Lanthanide and Actinide Series Back to Top†¦show more content†¦This is due to shielding of the unpaired electrons of the inner 4f-orbital by the outer 5s, 5p, and 5d orbitals. Due to the small change in size of the ions, they show great similarity in their chemical properties. The first few members are quite reactive. A few properties are given below. †¢ All lanthanides react rapidly upon exposure to air. †¢ They dissolve in hot water and react with acid with liberating hydrogen. †¢ They act as a strong reducing agent because of the strong electro positive nature †¢ They form the nitrides and hydrides after reacting with nitrogen and hydrogen respectively. †¢ They also react with non-metals like halogens, sulfur, phosphorus, carbon and silicon and form their corresponding compounds. Lanthanide Contraction Back to Top The atomic size or ionic radii of tri positive lanthanide ions show a steady and gradual decrease with the increase in atomic number from La to Lu. Although they show some irregularities but ionic radii decrease steadily from La to Lu. This gradual decreasing in the size with increasing atomic number is called lanthanide contraction. Cause of lanthanide contraction The major cause for lanthanide contraction is due to the inappropriate shielding of the 4f electrons due to the improper shape of the f-orbitals. As the atomic number increases in lanthanide series, for every proton in the nucleus the extra electronShow MoreRelatedRobert Boyle And The Noble Gases1238 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscovered by Sir William Ramsay and Lord Rayleigh. The noble gases were added to the periodic table in a group labeled 0. Eventually in 1945, Glenn Seaborg discovered and identified lanthanides and actinides. The Lanthanides were the elements with atomic numbers greater than 57 and lower than 71. The Actinides were elements greater than 92. These elements today are located underneath the periodic table (refer to figure 1). The last major change to the periodic table occurred in the 20th centuryRead MoreHistory Of The Periodic Table1129 Words   |  5 Pageselements were discovered by Glenn Seaborg. Glenn Seaborg’s completion of the actinide series all owed him to redesign the periodic table into its current, modern day form. The lanthanide and actinide series were placed underneath the rest of the periodic table. The elements should be placed between alkaline earth metals and the transition metals however because the table would become too wide the actinide and lanthanide series were placed the underneath the periodic table. Dr. Seaborg and his colleaguesRead MorePeriodic Table Research Paper : Madison1252 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, some sources say there are nine families. These families include, Alkali Metals, Alkaline Earth metals, Transition metals, Other metals, Metalloids, Non-metals, Halogens, Noble gases, and rare earth which can be grouped into either Lanthanides or Actinides. Each family has different characteristics. Elements in the non metals include, Hydrogen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulphur, and Selenium. These elements do not conduct electricity or heat very easily and they are also very brittleRe ad MoreThe Periodic Table Of Elements1123 Words   |  5 Pageselements were discovered by Glenn Seaborg. Glenn Seaborg’s completion of the actinide series allowed him to redesign the periodic table into its current, modern day form. The lanthanide and actinide series were placed underneath the rest of the periodic table. The elements should be placed between alkaline earth metals and the transition metals however because the table would become too wide the actinide and lanthanide series were placed the underneath the periodic table. Dr. Seaborg and his colleaguesRead MorePeriodic Table By Robert Boyle1720 Words   |  7 Pagesput into a group, which was labeled 0 on the periodic table. Eventually two new kinds of groups were added to the periodic table in 1894. A scientist named Glenn Seaborg figured out and discovered the groupings of actinides, having atomic numbers between 57 and 71, and lanthanides, having atomic numbers more than 92. Today, these elements can only be found in one location of the table of periodic elements, beneath the table (refer to figure 1). Mr. Seaborg did amazing work with the table of elementsRead MorePhysics Of The Periodic Table1506 Words   |  7 Pagesadding something called the actinide series. Seaborg s actinide concept of heavy element electronic structure, hypothesising that the actinides shapes a transition series which is equivalent to the rare earth series of lanthanide elements, today this series is well accepted and included in the periodic table. The actinide series is the second row of the f-block or the 5f series. In both the actinide and lanthanide series, an internal electron is being filled. The actinide series includes the elementsRead MoreThe Importance Of The Conversion Of Lower Energy Light897 Words   |  4 Pagesrare-earth metals of the lanthanides as well as yttrium, and scandium; however, some transition metals and actinides can also display this effect[2]. Lanthanide ions display special inner-shell arrangements of 4fn 5d0-1, which allow for unique energy levels and provide shielding from the outer shells[2]. Due to their various f-orbital configurations, lanthanide ions are able to display very sharp luminescence emissions via intra-4f or 4f-4d tra nsitions[2,3]. The importance of the lanthanide ions is evidentRead MoreDmitri Mendeleev Original Periodic Table Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pagesthe table may be shaded different colours to distinguish different chemical families, the table does not have a key/legend explaining them. Benfey has displayed a small amount of electron configuration, as the Transition Metals and the Lanthanides and Actinides create curves because they are in the ‘d’ and ‘f’ blocks on the modern Periodic Table. â€Æ' Modern Periodic Table Modern Periodic Table - PMI Plus Minus Interesting Facts Elements in this table are arrangedRead MoreTask 1a Periodic Table Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesGroup 7= Halogen family Group 8= Noble gases Rare earth materials Some earth materials are radioactive. The earths that are rare are silvery white. Thirty rare earth elements are unmoved in the actinide and lanthanide series. In the lanthanide series the one element is the most of the elements in the actinide series that are called trans- uranium which then means man- made. Period Each horizontal is called a period the elements in the period are not alike. The first element in each period is extremelyRead MoreChapter One Of The Disappearing Spoon1894 Words   |  8 Pagesperiod number of an element. Page 26 of The Disappearing Spoon ties into learning goal 21, 22, and 30. This page discusses about the f block. The f block is made up of the lanthanides and actinides. Lanthanides and actinides are the two rows at the bottom of the periodic table. Lanthanides are the elements at the top while actinides are the elements at the bottom. Page 28 of The Disappearing Spoon ties into learning goals 1, 2, 18, and 29. This page discusses on the nuclear decay which is the process