Lanthanides are a series of how many elements?

The correct answer is 15.Key PointsLathanides:

• The first element in the series, Lanthanum, led to the use of the word "lanthanides."
• There will be 15 lanthanides if chemistry-based similarities are the main focus.
• They were first discovered in Sweden's Ytterby in 1787.
• They were found in a mineral called Gadolinite.
• The basicity of lanthanides is one characteristic that influences how they interact with other elements.
  • The ease with which an atom can lose electrons is known as its basicity.
• The basicity series for the Lanthanides is as follows:
• La3+ > Ce3+ > Pr3+ > Nd3+ > Pm3+ > Sm3+ > Eu3+ > Gd3+ > Tb3+ > Dy3+ > Ho3+ > Er3+ > Tm3+ > Yb3+ > Lu3+

Additional InformationProperties of the Lanthanides:

• They have melting and boiling points that are higher than those of other elements in the periodic table, although the trend is irregular.
• The melting points approximately range from 800 °C to 1600 °C.
• The boiling points approximately range from 1200 °C to 3500 °C.
• Their most prevalent oxidation state is +3, yet they also exhibit other oxidation states like +2, +3, and +4.
• Their density is high, ranging from 6.77 to 9.74 g/cm3.
• It increases as the atomic number increases.

Important Points

• There will be 13 lanthanides (Ce to Yb) when the gas-phase atoms are filled in, with a focus on the 4f-subshell.
• There are 14 lanthanides if one concentrates on idealized electronic blocks.