Samarium
From Conservapedia
| Samarium | |
|---|---|
| Name | Samarium |
| Symbol | Sm |
| Atomic number | 62 |
| Atomic mass | 150.36 amu |
| Normal state | Solid |
| Classification | Metallic |
| Crystal structure | Hexagonal |
| Color | Silvery white; oxidises in moist air |
| Date of discovery | 1879 |
| Name of discoverer | Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran |
| Name origin | From the mineral samarskite. |
| Uses | Used in carbon-arc lighting, permanent magnets, lasers, alloys, headphones and as an absorber in nuclear reactors. |
| Obtained from | The chief ore it is found in is monazite. |
Interestingly, the mineral samarskite after which samarium is named, was named after Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets, the Chief of Staff (Colonel) of the Russian Corps of Mining Engineers in 1845–1861, thus making samarium the first chemical element to be named after a living person.
