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Understanding the element
Gadolinium (Gd) is chemical element 64. 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 medical imaging equipment, nuclear reactors and magnets.
medical imaging equipmentnuclear reactorsmagnets
Standard atomic weight157.249(2)
What its position in the table tells us
Gadolinium 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
Gadolinium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Gadolinium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses