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. |
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