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.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
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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Scandium is a rare earth metal element denoted by the atomic symbol Sc. Its atomic weight is 44.9559, its atomic number is 21. It melts at its 2,805.8°F (1,541°C). Scandium is a silvery-white metal which develops a yellowish or pinkish cast when exposed to air.
In 1876, the Swedish chemist Lars Nilson (1840-1899) discovered the element scandium. Nilson found the element while he was analyzing a complex mineral known as euxenite. Nilson named the element in honor of Scandinavia, his homeland, and the only place in the world that euxenite had yet been found. Nilson obtained scandium also from gadolinite, another mineral found only in Scandinavia.
The significance of Nilson's discovery was pointed out by his countryman, Per Teodor Cleve (1840-1905). Cleve showed that scandium's chemical and physical properties closely matched those of the eka-boron that had been predicted for element 21 by Dmitri Mendeleev a decade earlier. The close match of properties for eka-boron and scandium added further confirmation of Mendeleev's periodic law.
Scandium is typically obtained by extraction from the mineral thortveitite or from uranium mill tailing. The scandium is further purified by reducing the scandium fluoride with calcium. It has been used in high-intensity lamps and one isotope is sometimes used as a tracer in petroleum refineries. Since it is very lightweight, it has been experimented with by spacecraft designers.