Lanthanum
Atomic symbol: La
Atomic number: 57
Atomic mass: 138.91
Appearance: Silvery-white solid at 25°C
Group: N/a
Period: 6
Series: Lanthanoids
Block: f
Electron configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹ 6s²
Used in lighting, electronics, and as catalysts.
A soft, ductile, and malleable metal, classified as rare.
Fun Fact! Lanthanum is extremely hard to extract, despite it actually being fairly abundant. In keeping with this fact, it is named after the Greek word “lanthanein”, meaning to lie hidden and escape notice.