The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
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The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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Europium is a member of the rare earth family of elements, found in Row 6 of the periodic table. The element has an atomic number of 63, an atomic mass of 151.96, and a chemical symbol of Eu.
Europium is a steel-gray solid with a bright, shiny surface. Its melting point is 1,519°F (826°C), its boiling point is about 2,712°F (1,489°), and its density, 5.24 grams per cubic centimeter. It is a very active metal that reacts vigorously with oxygen in the air, catching fire spontaneously. It also reacts easily with water to produce hydrogen gas.
Europium is not very abundant in the Earth's crust, with a concentration of no more than about one part per million. It is one of the least abundant of the rare earth elements. Europium is extracted from its ores by heating with lanthanum metal: Eu2O3 + 2La La2O3 + 2Eu.
Europium was discovered in 1901 by French chemist Eugène-Anatole Demarccedil;ay (1852-1904) while he was analyzing the mineral cerite, found more than a century earlier near the town of Bastnas, Sweden. Cerite was eventually found to contain six new elements in addition to europium. Demarccedil;ay chose to name the new element after the continent of Europe.
Although there are no commercially important uses for europium metal, some of its compounds do have useful applications. Some europium compounds, for example, are used as phosphors in television picture tubes, producing a red color when bombarded with electrons. Europium oxide phosphors are also used in printing postage stamps because they allow machines to read the stamp and determine its monetary value.