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.
Yttrium (Y)
Yttrium is element 39, a Group 3 metal commonly grouped with the rare earths. Its stable ⁸⁹Y nucleus and Y³⁺ chemistry connect the periodic table to YAG lasers, phosphors, advanced ceramics and superconducting materials.
Yttrium atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Yttrium: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does yttrium have?
Yttrium’s atomic number is 39, so every yttrium atom has 39 protons, and a neutral atom also has 39 electrons. Its most common natural isotope, yttrium-89, has 50 neutrons (other isotopes have different neutron counts).
What is the symbol for yttrium?
The chemical symbol for yttrium is Y.
Is yttrium a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Yttrium is a solid at room temperature (about 25 °C).
What family (group) is yttrium in?
Yttrium is a transition metal, in group 3, period 5 of the periodic table.
What is the electron configuration of yttrium?
The ground-state electron configuration of yttrium is [Kr] 4d¹ 5s².
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.
39 protons define yttrium.
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.
Yttrium in its period and family
Yttrium sits below scandium in Group 3. Its [Kr]4d¹5s² configuration strongly favors Y³⁺, which is why much of its compound chemistry resembles the trivalent rare-earth ions.
Yttrium Visual Lab
Explore Y 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.
Yttrium in one minute
Atomic number 39 means 39 protons.
Neutral Yttrium has [Kr] 4d¹ 5s².
Its representative teaching isotope is ⁸⁹Y.
Yttrium metal, yttrium compounds and the isotope ⁹⁰Y are different chemical/nuclear contexts.
The ordinary material reference is hexagonal close-packed.
Shell rings organize electron counts. They are not electron trajectories or orbital shapes.
2 · 8 · 18 · 9 · 2 electrons
The 4d_z2, 5s visuals are isolated-atom probability teaching models. They do not depict electron bands, bonding orbitals or the crystal electronic structure of Yttrium materials.
Ordinary yttrium metal is HCP. The material viewer is a conventional HCP teaching cell and does not represent YAG, YBCO or yttrium oxide crystal structures.. 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 4d_z2, 5s visuals are isolated-atom probability teaching models. They do not depict electron bands, bonding orbitals or the crystal electronic structure of Yttrium materials.
Where do I meet yttrium?
Clickable learning cards connect the element to materials, environment, technology, biology or research - depending on what the evidence actually supports.
YAG
Yttrium aluminium garnet is a distinct crystalline compound used in lasers and optical materials.
Ytterby → Y³⁺ → host materials
Yttrium metal, yttrium compounds and the isotope ⁹⁰Y are different chemical/nuclear contexts. The page keeps YAG, YBCO and medical isotope uses tied to their actual materials instead of assigning every behavior to elemental Y.
Ytterby mineral
Yttrium is one of several elements linked to the Swedish locality Ytterby.
Yttrium in periodic context
Compare nearby or family-related elements without treating a trend as a substitute for element-specific evidence.
| Group | 3 |
|---|---|
| Block | d |
| Group | 3 |
|---|---|
| Block | d |
| Series | lanthanide |
|---|---|
| Period | 6 |
Yttrium 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 | 39 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Relative atomic mass | 88.906 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ground-state electron configuration | [Kr] 4d¹ 5s² | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Group / period / block | Group 3 · Period 5 · d-block | Periodic-table placement | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | 1.22 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Reference isotope | ⁸⁹Y | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| State context | Soft silvery metal | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Density | 4.47 g/cm³ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Material / molecular structure | Hexagonal close-packed | Ordinary yttrium metal is HCP. The material viewer is a conventional HCP teaching cell and does not represent YAG, YBCO or yttrium oxide crystal structures. | Measured |
| Classification | Transition metal / rare-earth element | Periodic-table / chemistry classification | Evaluated |
| Structure-model scope | Ordinary yttrium metal is HCP. The material viewer is a conventional HCP teaching cell and does not represent YAG, YBCO or yttrium oxide crystal structures. | Teaching visualization; exact crystallographic coordinates are not implied unless stated. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting / transition reference | 1795 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Boiling / gas reference | 3618 K | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Phase-path context | At approximately standard pressure, yttrium is a solid metal below 1795 K, liquid to about 3618 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary electrical behavior | Metallic conductor | Qualitative bulk behavior; exact resistivity depends on temperature, purity and alloy state. | Measured |
| Conduction model | Collective solid-state electrons | Do not interpret isolated-atom orbital clouds as literal current paths. | Reviewed |
| Surface / compound caveat | Oxides, salts and alloys can behave differently from the pure metal | Material context | Reviewed |
| Engineering values | Condition-dependent | Use condition-specific materials data for engineering calculations. | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common oxidation states | +3 | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Ion / common ion context | Y³⁺ | Source-reviewed; see Sources below | Evaluated |
| Periodic chemistry context | Yttrium sits below scandium in Group 3. Its [Kr]4d¹5s² configuration strongly favors Y³⁺, which is why much of its compound chemistry resembles the trivalent rare-earth ions. | Element-specific interpretation | Reviewed |
| Chemistry caution | Elemental form, ions and compounds are distinct chemical objects. | Interpretive teaching rule | Reviewed |
| Property | Value | Context / provenance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⁸⁹Y | Stable natural isotope | Essentially all naturally occurring yttrium. | Evaluated |
| ⁹⁰Y | Radioactive isotope | Used in regulated medical/nuclear applications; not natural bulk yttrium. | Evaluated |
| Natural yttrium | Single stable-isotope element | Its relative atomic mass is close to ⁸⁹Y. | Evaluated |
| Teaching nucleus | ⁸⁹Y · 39 protons + 50 neutrons | Reference isotope used in the nucleus model | Reviewed |
Is Yttrium a solid, liquid or gas? State at temperature
At approximately standard pressure, yttrium is a solid metal below 1795 K, liquid to about 3618 K, and gaseous above the boiling reference.
Where on Earth is Yttrium found or produced?
Who discovered Yttrium, and when?
Johan Gadolin identified a new rare-earth oxide from a mineral from Ytterby, Sweden.
The material and element name became linked to Ytterby.
Friedrich Wöhler obtained an impure form of yttrium metal.
Yttrium compounds became important in lasers, phosphors, ceramics and superconductors.
From source material to Yttrium applications: high-level material path
Yttrium enters rare-earth processing through minerals such as xenotime, monazite or bastnäsite.
Closely related rare-earth ions are separated using industrial chemical separation trains.
Refined yttrium compounds become oxides, garnets, ceramics, phosphors or metal feedstocks.
End-use products may be recycled through broader rare-earth/material recovery routes.
What is yttrium used for?
Lasers
YAG hosts are used in solid-state laser systems.
Phosphors & LEDs
Yttrium compounds are used as host materials in light-emitting phosphors.
Ceramics
Yttria stabilizes zirconia and supports heat-resistant ceramic systems.
Advanced materials
Yttrium-containing superconductors and alloys serve specialized applications.
Yttrium isotopes and natural abundance
⁸⁹Y
Stable natural isotopeEssentially all naturally occurring yttrium.
⁹⁰Y
Radioactive isotopeUsed in regulated medical/nuclear applications; not natural bulk yttrium.
Natural yttrium
Single stable-isotope elementIts relative atomic mass is close to ⁸⁹Y.
Five-question Yttrium check
What is Yttrium’s atomic number?
Which classification best fits Yttrium?
What is the representative teaching isotope?
Which statement respects the material evidence?
Which rule should guide real-world uses?
Yttrium 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 yttrium?
Short answer: Yttrium is chemical element 39, a Group 3 metal commonly grouped with the rare earths.
Atomic number 39 means every yttrium nucleus contains 39 protons. In the periodic table, Yttrium is classified here as a transition metal / rare-earth element in Period 5 and Group 3. Yttrium sits below scandium in Group 3. Its [Kr]4d¹5s² configuration strongly favors Y³⁺, which is why much of its compound chemistry resembles the trivalent rare-earth ions.
Key point: Y is element 39; its periodic position and electron structure explain the rest of the page.
Is yttrium a metal?
Short answer: Yes. It is a soft, silvery metal.
This guide classifies Yttrium as a transition metal / rare-earth element. Its periodic position is Period 5, d-block, Group 3. Yttrium sits below scandium in Group 3. Its [Kr]4d¹5s² configuration strongly favors Y³⁺, which is why much of its compound chemistry resembles the trivalent rare-earth ions.
Key point: Periodic-table classification describes recurring atomic/chemical behavior; it does not make every element in a column physically identical.
What is yttrium used for?
Short answer: Yttrium compounds are important in YAG lasers, phosphors, ceramics and some superconducting materials.
Lasers: YAG hosts are used in solid-state laser systems. Phosphors & LEDs: Yttrium compounds are used as host materials in light-emitting phosphors. Yttrium metal, yttrium compounds and the isotope ⁹⁰Y are different chemical/nuclear contexts. The page keeps YAG, YBCO and medical isotope uses tied to their actual materials instead of assigning every behavior to elemental Y.
Key point: Always distinguish the pure element from the compound, alloy, isotope or device material that actually performs the application.
Where is yttrium found?
Short answer: It occurs in rare-earth minerals such as xenotime, monazite and bastnäsite rather than as native metal.
Yttrium enters rare-earth processing through minerals such as xenotime, monazite or bastnäsite. The Geography Explorer keeps natural occurrence separate from resources, industrial production and recycling, because those datasets answer different questions about yttrium.
Key point: Natural occurrence, resources, production and recycling are different geography questions.
Who discovered yttrium?
Short answer: Johan Gadolin identified the rare-earth material associated with yttrium in 1794.
In 1794, Johan Gadolin identified a new rare-earth oxide from a mineral from Ytterby, Sweden. In the early 1800s, The material and element name became linked to Ytterby.
Key point: Discovery credit follows the historical evidence and accepted attribution, not just the earliest claim.
What is yttrium’s symbol?
Short answer: Y.
The symbol Y is the standardized chemical abbreviation for element 39. In a chemical formula, Y identifies yttrium atoms; a compound containing Y is not automatically the same material as elemental yttrium.
Key point: Y always identifies element 39.
What is yttrium’s atomic number?
Short answer: 39.
Atomic number is defined by proton count, so 39 protons are what make an atom yttrium. A neutral yttrium atom also has 39 electrons, while isotopes can have different neutron counts without changing the element.
Key point: Atomic number = proton count.
Scientific sources for Yttrium
- Royal Society of Chemistry - Yttrium
- NIST - Atomic Weights and Isotopic Compositions
- USGS - Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
Questions to ask next about Yttrium
A good element lesson should lead to the next useful question, not end after a list of facts.
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