Scandium

Atomic Number:	21
Symbol:	Sc
Atomic weight:	44.9559
Discovery:	Nilson 1878
Electron Configuration:	[Ar]4s²3d¹
Word Origin:	Latin Scandia: Scandinavia
Isotopes:	Eleven isotopes of scandium are recognized.
Properties:	Scandium has a melting point of 1541 °C, boiling point of 2830 °C, specific gravity of 2.989 (25 °C), and valence of 3. It is a silvery-white metal which develops a yellowish or pinkish cast when exposed to air. Scandium is a very light, relatively soft metal. Scandium reacts rapidly with many acids. The blue color of aquamarine is attributed to the presence of scandium.
Uses:	Scandium is used to make high intensity lamps. Scandium iodide is added to mercury vapor lamps to produce a light source with a color resembling sunlight. The radioactive isotope Sc-46 is used as a tracer in refinery crackers for crude oil.