🔹 Basic Information

• Element Name: Scandium
• Discovered By: Lars Fredrik Nilson
• Year of Discovery: 1879
• Category: Transition Metal
• Group: 3
• State at Room Temperature: Solid (silvery-white metal) ⚙️

Scandium is a lightweight and rare metal that’s not very well known but has some important uses in high-tech materials.

🔸 Chemical Properties

• Chemical Symbol: Sc
• Atomic Number: 21
• Atomic Mass: ~44.96 u
• Valency: +3
• Electronic Configuration: [Ar] 3d¹ 4s²

Scandium reacts slowly with cold water but faster with hot water. It forms stable compounds mostly in the +3 oxidation state.

📘 Basic Things to Know

Scandium was discovered in minerals from a Swedish mine, and its name comes from Scandinavia. It’s often found with rare earth elements but is too rare to find by itself naturally.

🤔 Interesting Facts

• Scandium is used to make strong, lightweight alloys, especially in aerospace parts and sports equipment like baseball bats and bike frames. ⚾🚴
• It improves the strength and corrosion resistance of aluminum alloys.
• Scandium is considered a “rare earth metal,” even though it’s not technically part of the lanthanide series.
• Because it’s rare and expensive, scandium isn’t used widely but has high-tech niche uses.

🔧 Common Uses

• Aluminum Alloys: Added to aluminum to create light, strong materials for aerospace and sports gear. 🛩️
• Lighting: Scandium vapor lamps produce light similar to sunlight, used in film and stadium lighting. 🎥🏟️
• Research: Used in scientific studies and experimental alloys. 🔬

📚 Conclusion

Scandium may be a quiet, rare metal, but it plays a big role in making materials stronger and lighter — especially where performance matters. For students, scandium shows how even tiny amounts of special elements can improve technology and everyday tools! 🔬⚙️