Scandium
Transition Metal
Scandium (Sc) is a chemical element with atomic number 21, classified as a transition metal. At room temperature it is a solid. It was discovered in 1879 by Lars Fredrik Nilson.
Properties
- Atomic number
- 21
- Atomic mass
- 44.956 u
- Category
- Transition Metal
- Group
- 3
- Period
- 4
- Block
- d-block
- Electron configuration
- [Ar] 3d¹ 4s²
- Phase at STP
- Solid
- Density
- 2.989 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 1814 K (1540.8 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3109 K (2835.8 °C)
- Electronegativity
- 1.36
- Atomic radius
- 184 pm
- Ionization energy
- 6.561 eV
- Discovery
- 1879 · Lars Fredrik Nilson
Common uses
Aerospace alloys, high-intensity lights, baseball bats
Did you know?
Lighter than aluminum but stronger than steel when alloyed.
Experiment with the elements
Scandium doesn't form any compounds in our lab yet, but the periodic table sandbox lets you combine dozens of other real elements into real compounds — water, table salt, ammonia and many more — with their true chemical formulas.