Atomic / phase data
Reference atomic and phase values are source-reviewed.
Material structure
The ordinary elemental structure is measured; the viewer is a teaching representation.
Element vs material uses
Uses distinguish elemental metal from compounds, alloys, dopants or medical formulations.
Geography
Discovery/supply context is selective and does not fabricate deposits or facilities.
The lens describes evidence status, not confidence theatre. “Unknown” is kept unknown, and teaching schematics are not presented as direct measurements.
Europium (Eu)
Europium is element 63, a reactive lanthanide whose half-filled 4f⁷ configuration makes Eu²⁺ unusually accessible and helps europium compounds produce distinctive red and blue luminescence in phosphors and security markings.
Europium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Europium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does europium have?
Europium’s atomic number is 63, so every europium atom has 63 protons, and a neutral atom also has 63 electrons. Its most common natural isotope, europium-153, has 90 neutrons (other isotopes have different neutron counts).
What is the symbol for europium?
The chemical symbol for europium is Eu.
Is europium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Europium is a solid at room temperature (about 25 °C).
What family (group) is europium in?
Europium is a lanthanide, in period 6 (the f-block row shown below the main table) of the periodic table.
What is the electron configuration of europium?
The ground-state electron configuration of europium is [Xe] 4f⁷ 6s².
From atomic number to chemistry
Read these as a chain of causes, not as isolated facts. Each step links to the concept hub if you want the underlying idea explained.
63 protons define europium.
The ground-state configuration frames atomic and chemical behavior.
Periodic position organizes recurring chemistry and trends.
The teaching nucleus is one isotope, not the relative atomic mass.
Phase claims preserve source-reviewed evidence and allotrope context.
Europium in its period and family
Europium lies near the middle of the lanthanides. Its half-filled 4f⁷ configuration stabilizes Eu²⁺ more strongly than for most lanthanides, while Eu³⁺ remains central to red phosphor chemistry.
Europium Visual Lab
Explore Eu across the teaching nucleus, isolated-atom orbitals, evidence-aware material structure and temperature/evidence views, then connect those models to uses, isotopes, search-led questions and source-backed context.
Every mark points to one exact feature
The numbered markers explain the same information system used throughout Element Lookup. Unknown or predicted fields remain visibly labelled rather than being replaced with guesses.
Europium in one minute
Atomic number 63 means 63 protons.
Neutral Europium has [Xe] 4f⁷ 6s².
Its representative teaching isotope is ¹⁵³Eu.
The color of a europium phosphor does not come from elemental europium metal glowing.
The ordinary material reference is body-centred cubic.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 18 · 25 · 8 · 2 electrons
The 4f_xyz, 6s visuals are isolated-atom probability teaching models. They do not depict electron bands, bonding orbitals or the crystal electronic structure of Europium materials.
Ordinary europium metal is BCC. The structure viewer represents elemental Eu metal, not the oxide, nitride, aluminate or other host crystals used in luminescent materials.. The viewer is evidence-aware: measured structures are identified as such; unknown bulk structures stay unknown.
Teaching visualization; not a literal finite sample or thermal trajectory.What this model does—and does not—show
The 4f_xyz, 6s visuals are isolated-atom probability teaching models. They do not depict electron bands, bonding orbitals or the crystal electronic structure of Europium materials.
Where do I meet europium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
Red phosphors
Eu³⁺ ions provide characteristic red emission in suitable host lattices.
4f⁷ → Eu²⁺/Eu³⁺ → color
The color of a europium phosphor does not come from elemental europium metal glowing. It depends on the europium oxidation state, host lattice and electronic transitions: Eu³⁺ commonly gives sharp red emission, while Eu²⁺ can give broader blue-to-green emission in suitable hosts.
4f⁷6s²
The half-filled f shell is especially stable.
Europium in periodic context
Compare nearby or family-related elements without treating a trend as a substitute for element-specific evidence.
| Series | lanthanide |
|---|---|
| Common state | +3 |
| Series | lanthanide |
|---|---|
| States | +2/+3 |
| Series | lanthanide |
|---|---|
| Common state | +3 |
Europium properties: atomic, physical, thermal and chemical
Categories follow the science of this element rather than a fixed decorative template. Each row carries condition/provenance context and an evidence label; unknown values stay unknown.
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic number | 63 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | 151.964 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Xe] 4f⁷ 6s² | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Group / period / block | Group Lanthanide · Period 6 · f-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | ~1.2 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Reference isotope | ¹⁵³Eu | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| State context | Soft silvery reactive lanthanide metal | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Density | 5.24 g/cm³ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Material / molecular structure | Body-centred cubic | Ordinary europium metal is BCC. The structure viewer represents elemental Eu metal, not the oxide, nitride, aluminate or other host crystals used in luminescent materials. | Measured |
| Classification | Lanthanide | Periodic-table / chemistry classification | Evaluated |
| Structure-model scope | Ordinary europium metal is BCC. The structure viewer represents elemental Eu metal, not the oxide, nitride, aluminate or other host crystals used in luminescent materials. | Teaching visualization; exact crystallographic coordinates are not implied unless stated. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting / transition reference | 1095 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Boiling / gas reference | 1802 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Phase-path context | At approximately standard pressure, europium is BCC solid below 1095 K, liquid to about 1802 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference. | Shared phase registry drives the slider, regions and markers. | Evaluated |
| Condition warning | Temperature and pressure define phase behavior; purity/allotropy may matter. | Teaching condition statement | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common oxidation states | +3, +2 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ion / common ion context | Eu²⁺ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Periodic chemistry context | Europium lies near the middle of the lanthanides. Its half-filled 4f⁷ configuration stabilizes Eu²⁺ more strongly than for most lanthanides, while Eu³⁺ remains central to red phosphor chemistry. | Element-specific interpretation | Reviewed |
| Chemistry caution | Elemental form, ions and compounds are distinct chemical objects. | Interpretive teaching rule | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¹⁵³Eu | Stable natural isotope | Slightly more abundant of the two natural europium isotopes. | Evaluated |
| ¹⁵¹Eu | Extremely long-lived radioactive natural isotope | Decays so slowly that it persists naturally. | Evaluated |
| Natural europium | Two-isotope mixture | Relative atomic mass reflects ¹⁵¹Eu and ¹⁵³Eu. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ¹⁵³Eu · 63 protons + 90 neutrons | Reference isotope used in the nucleus model | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page evidence note | Atomic identity, reference values and ordinary structures are source-reviewed. Material viewers are teaching representations, not crystallographic refinements. Search demand never overrides measured/evaluated evidence or compound-vs-element distinctions. | Evidence summary for this guide | Reviewed |
| Structure evidence | Ordinary europium metal is BCC. The structure viewer represents elemental Eu metal, not the oxide, nitride, aluminate or other host crystals used in luminescent materials. | Measured structure, labelled schematic, prediction or explicit unknown as applicable. | Reviewed |
| Map evidence rule | Real pins are reviewed examples; conceptual layers are used when pins would mislead. | Geography Explorer 2.0 | Reviewed |
| Source set | 3 primary/reference links listed below | Open the Sources section for the actual references. | Reviewed |
Is Europium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
At approximately standard pressure, europium is BCC solid below 1095 K, liquid to about 1802 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference.
Where on Earth is Europium found or produced?
Who discovered Europium, and when?
Spectroscopic observations showed that samarium-group rare-earth material contained another component.
Eugène-Anatole Demarçay isolated europium sufficiently to establish it as a distinct element.
Europium phosphors became central to color television and fluorescent lighting.
Eu-doped materials remain important in LEDs, security inks and optical research.
From source material to Europium applications: high-level material path
Europium begins in mixed rare-earth mineral concentrates.
Chemical separation isolates europium compounds from closely related lanthanides.
Controlled valence and host-lattice chemistry produce Eu²⁺- or Eu³⁺-activated phosphors and optical materials.
Recycling is tied to phosphor, lighting and rare-earth recovery systems rather than elemental-metal collection alone.
What is europium used for?
Phosphors
Eu³⁺ and Eu²⁺ activate red, blue or green luminescence in different host materials.
Security printing
Luminescent europium compounds support anti-counterfeit features.
Lighting & displays
Eu-doped phosphors tune color in lamps, screens and LEDs.
Neutron science
Some europium isotopes have strong neutron-capture behavior and specialized nuclear applications.
Europium isotopes and natural abundance
¹⁵³Eu
Stable natural isotopeSlightly more abundant of the two natural europium isotopes.
¹⁵¹Eu
Extremely long-lived radioactive natural isotopeDecays so slowly that it persists naturally.
Natural europium
Two-isotope mixtureRelative atomic mass reflects ¹⁵¹Eu and ¹⁵³Eu.
Five-question Europium check
What is Europium’s atomic number?
Which classification best fits Europium?
What is the representative teaching isotope?
Which statement respects the material evidence?
Which rule should guide real-world uses?
Europium questions students commonly ask
Each answer starts with the direct fact, then explains the chemistry, evidence or material context so the result is understandable rather than merely memorized.
What is europium?
Short answer: Europium is chemical element 63, a reactive lanthanide metal.
Atomic number 63 means every europium nucleus contains 63 protons. In the periodic table, Europium is classified here as a lanthanide in Period 6 and Group Lanthanide. Europium lies near the middle of the lanthanides. Its half-filled 4f⁷ configuration stabilizes Eu²⁺ more strongly than for most lanthanides, while Eu³⁺ remains central to red phosphor chemistry.
Key point: Eu is element 63; its periodic position and electron structure explain the rest of the page.
What is europium used for?
Short answer: Europium compounds are widely used as luminescent activators in phosphors, lighting, displays and security markings.
Phosphors: Eu³⁺ and Eu²⁺ activate red, blue or green luminescence in different host materials. Security printing: Luminescent europium compounds support anti-counterfeit features. The color of a europium phosphor does not come from elemental europium metal glowing. It depends on the europium oxidation state, host lattice and electronic transitions: Eu³⁺ commonly gives sharp red emission, while Eu²⁺ can give broader blue-to-green emission in suitable hosts.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Is europium a metal?
Short answer: Yes. It is a soft, silvery lanthanide metal.
This guide classifies Europium as a lanthanide. Its periodic position is Period 6, f-block, Group Lanthanide. Europium lies near the middle of the lanthanides. Its half-filled 4f⁷ configuration stabilizes Eu²⁺ more strongly than for most lanthanides, while Eu³⁺ remains central to red phosphor chemistry.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
Why does europium glow red?
Short answer: Eu³⁺ ions in suitable host lattices have characteristic electronic transitions that can produce red emission; elemental Eu metal is not the same material.
The color of a europium phosphor does not come from elemental europium metal glowing. It depends on the europium oxidation state, host lattice and electronic transitions: Eu³⁺ commonly gives sharp red emission, while Eu²⁺ can give broader blue-to-green emission in suitable hosts. The color of a europium phosphor does not come from elemental europium metal glowing.
Key point: The mechanism matters: connect the observed behavior to electron structure, bonding, phase or the specific material form rather than memorizing the result alone.
Where is europium found?
Short answer: It occurs in mixed rare-earth minerals and is separated during rare-earth processing.
Europium begins in mixed rare-earth mineral concentrates. The Geography Explorer keeps natural occurrence separate from resources, industrial production and recycling, because those datasets answer different questions about europium.
Key point: Natural occurrence, resources, production and recycling are different geography questions.
Who discovered europium?
Short answer: Eugène-Anatole Demarçay established europium as a distinct element around 1901.
In the late 1800s, Spectroscopic observations showed that samarium-group rare-earth material contained another component. In 1901, Eugène-Anatole Demarçay isolated europium sufficiently to establish it as a distinct element.
Key point: Discovery credit follows the historical evidence and accepted attribution, not just the earliest claim.
What is europium’s symbol?
Short answer: Eu.
The symbol Eu is the standardized chemical abbreviation for element 63. In a chemical formula, Eu identifies europium atoms; a compound containing Eu is not automatically the same material as elemental europium.
Key point: Eu always identifies element 63.
Scientific sources for Europium
- Royal Society of Chemistry - Europium
- NIST - Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions
- USGS - Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
Questions to ask next about Europium
A good element lesson should lead to the next useful question, not end after a list of facts.
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