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Understanding the element
Samarium (Sm) is chemical element 62. 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, nuclear reactors and medical applications.
magnetsnuclear reactorsmedical applications
Standard atomic weight150.36(2)
What its position in the table tells us
Samarium 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
Samarium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Samarium has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses