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Understanding the element
Dysprosium (Dy) is chemical element 66. It belongs to the lanthanoids, and its reference state at room temperature is a solid. Those basic facts are a useful starting point for its chemistry and applications.
Where do we encounter it?
In practice, it turns up most often in magnets, lasers and nuclear reactors.
magnetslasersnuclear reactors
Standard atomic weight162.500(1)
What its position in the table tells us
Dysprosium sits in period 6 and the F block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Dysprosium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Dysprosium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses