62
Samarium
Atomic Number62
Atomic Mass150.4 u
CategoryLanthanide
State at Room TempSolid
Year Discovered1879
About Samarium
Named after Vasily Samarsky-Bykhovets, the first element named for a person. Samarium-cobalt magnets keep working at temperatures that would kill ordinary magnets, so they steer missiles, precision motors, and headphones. Also a component of misch metal in lighter flints. The isotope samarium-153 relieves the pain of cancer that has spread to bone. Discovered in the mineral samarskite.
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