Lanthanum is a chemical element, whose symbol is La and the atomic number 57. Its name comes from the ancient Greek Lanthanum, which means "remains invisible".

Lanthanum is a transition metal, which is in group 3 of the transition metals of the periodic table. It is a yellow-brown metal, very ductile and malleable, with an average density of 6.162 g/cm3. It is stable in air at room temperature and corrodes slowly in water and acid.

Lanthanum has weak magnetic properties and only bonds with one other element, scandium. It forms a variety of compounds, including the most common sulfides, salts and oxides. It is widely used in protective clothing, glass and fireproof materials. It is also used in metal alloys, motors, electronic devices, lasers, heat shields and light reflectors.

Lanthanum is one of the rarest and most expensive elements in the periodic table. Most industrial applications require a pure metal, as the presence of impurities can affect its properties and durability.

920°
3454°

138.90547

2
3

[Xe] 5d1 6s2

2
8
18
18
9
2

1.1

5.5769

Synthetic

Radioactive

Liquid

Gaseous

Electronic configuration diagram

Characteristics

Name	Lanthanum
Number	57
Atomic	138.90547
Symbol	La
Fusion	920
Boiling	3454
Density	6.145
Period	6
Group	3

Discovery	1839 Mosander
Abundance	39
Radius	2.7
Electronegativity	1.1
Ionization	5.5769
Number of isotopes	19
Electronic configuration	[Xe] 5d1 6s2
Oxidation states	2,3
Electron by energy level	2,8,18,18,9,2

Minerals containing this element : 140

Mineral	Hardness	Density
Agardite-(Ce)	3.00 / 3.00	3.72
Agardite-(La)	3.00 / 4.00	3.72
Agardite-(Nd)	3.00 / 4.00	3.72
Allanite-(La)	6.00 / 6.00	3.93
Aluminocerite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	4.68
Ancylite-(La)	4.00 / 4.50	3.88
Arapovite	5.50 / 6.00	3.43
Arisite-(La)	3.00 / 3.50	4.07
Arsenoflorencite-(Ce)	3.50 / 3.50	4.10
Arsenoflorencite-(La)	3.50 / 3.50	4.10
Arsenoflorencite-(Nd)	3.50 / 3.50	4.05
Astrocyanite-(Ce)	2.00 / 3.00	3.80
Bario-olgite	4.00 / 4.50	4.00
Bastnäsite-(La)	4.00 / 5.00	4.95
Belovite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	4.19
Biraite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	4.76
Braitschite-(Ce)		2.90
Britholite-(Ce)	5.50 / 5.50	4.20
Bussyite-(Ce)		3.00
Byelorussite-(Ce)	5.50 / 6.00	3.92
Calcioburbankite	3.00 / 4.00	3.45
Calciopetersite	3.00 / 3.00	3.33
Calkinsite-(Ce)	2.50 / 2.50	3.27
Carbocernaite	3.00 / 3.00	3.53
Carbokentbrooksite	5.00 / 5.00	3.14
Cerite-(Ce)	5.50 / 5.50	4.86
Cerite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	4.70
Cervandonite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00
Chernovite-(Y)	4.00 / 5.00	4.87
Chevkinite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.50	4.50
Christofschäferite-(Ce)	6.00 / 6.00	4.00
Chukhrovite-(Nd)	3.50 / 4.00	2.42
Cordylite-(Ce)	4.50 / 4.50	4.44
Cordylite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00	4.33
Coskrenite-(Ce)
Crichtonite	5.00 / 6.00	4.46
Daqingshanite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	3.81
Davidite-(Ce)	6.00 / 6.00	4.42
Davidite-(La)	6.00 / 6.00	4.42
Decrespignyite-(Y)	4.00 / 4.00	3.64
Dingdaohengite-(Ce)	6.00 / 6.00	4.83
Dissakisite-(La)	6.50 / 7.00	3.79
Diversilite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	3.68
Dyrnaesite-(La)		3.68
Feklichevite	5.50 / 5.50	2.87
Fergusonite-(Ce)	5.50 / 6.50	5.48
Ferriakasakaite-(La)
Ferriallanite-(La)	6.00 / 6.00	4.21
Ferriandrosite-(La)
Ferronordite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	3.54
Florencite-(La)	5.00 / 6.00	3.52
Fluocerite-(Ce)	4.50 / 5.00	6.13
Fluocerite-(La)	4.00 / 5.00	5.93
Fluorbritholite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	4.66
Fluorcalciobritholite	5.50 / 5.50	4.20
Gadolinite-(Ce)	6.50 / 7.00	4.20
Galgenbergite-(Ce)	2.00 / 3.00
Gatelite-(Ce)	6.00 / 7.00	4.51
Golyshevite	5.50 / 5.50	2.89
Gramaccioliite-(Y)	6.00 / 6.00	4.66
Graulichite-(Ce)		3.90
Gysinite-(Nd)	4.00 / 4.50	4.82
Håleniusite-(La)		6.50
Hibonite	7.50 / 8.00	3.84
Hingganite-(Ce)	5.00 / 6.00	4.28
Hingganite-(Y)	5.00 / 6.00
Hydroxylbastnäsite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00	4.70
Ikranite	5.00 / 5.00	2.82
Ilímaussite-(Ce)	4.00 / 4.00	3.60
Ilmajokite	1.00 / 1.00	2.20
Iraqite-(La)	4.50 / 4.50	3.27
Isolueshite	5.50 / 5.50	4.72
Johnsenite-(Ce)	5.00 / 6.00	3.20
Karnasurtite-(Ce)	2.00 / 2.00	2.89
Kochite	5.00 / 5.00	3.32
Kozoite-(La)		4.16
Kozoite-(Nd)		4.77
Kuannersuite-(Ce)	4.50 / 5.50	4.66
Kukharenkoite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00	4.65
Lakargiite	8.00 / 8.50	4.59
Lanthanite-(Ce)	2.50 / 2.50	2.76
Lanthanite-(La)	3.00 / 3.00	2.61
Lanthanite-(Nd)	2.50 / 3.00	2.81
Levinsonite-(Y)		2.18
Loparite-(Ce)	5.50 / 5.50	4.77
Loveringite	7.50 / 7.50	4.41
Manganiandrosite-(Ce)
Manganiandrosite-(La)		4.21
Melanocerite-(Ce)	5.00 / 6.00	4.13
Menezesite	4.00 / 4.00	4.18
Mogovidite	5.50 / 5.50	2.90
Monazite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.50	4.80
Monazite-(La)	5.00 / 5.50	4.80
Monazite-(Nd)	5.00 / 5.50	4.80
Nacareniobsite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	3.45
Nordite-(Ce)	5.00 / 5.00	6.43
Nordite-(La)	5.00 / 6.00	3.43
Orthojoaquinite-(La)	5.00 / 5.00	4.10
Paratooite-(La)	4.00 / 4.00