What group and period is Yttrium in?

Yttrium is in Group 3 and Period 5 of the periodic table. It sits directly below Scandium (Sc) and is chemically similar to the lanthanides, which is why it is often classified as a rare-earth element.

What is Yttrium used for?

Yttrium has several important industrial and scientific applications. It is used in red phosphors for color television screens and LED displays (as yttrium orthovanadate), in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) microwave filters, in yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) laser crystals, in high-temperature superconductors (YBCO), and as a strengthening additive in magnesium and aluminum alloys.

Why is Yttrium called a rare-earth element?

Although Yttrium is a transition metal by periodic table position, its chemistry so closely resembles the lanthanides — same dominant +3 oxidation state, similar ionic radius, co-occurrence in rare-earth ore deposits — that IUPAC groups it with the rare-earth elements for practical purposes.

Who discovered Yttrium and when?

Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin discovered Yttrium in 1794 while analyzing a mineral from Ytterby, Sweden. The element (and the village) later gave their names to three additional elements: ytterbium, terbium, and erbium.

Is Yttrium radioactive?

Natural Yttrium consists entirely of the stable isotope Y-89. Yttrium has no naturally occurring radioactive isotopes. However, artificial isotopes such as Y-90 (half-life 64 hours) are produced in nuclear reactors and used in cancer radiotherapy.

Yttrium Element Properties

Look up every key property of Yttrium (Y, Z=39) — from atomic mass and electron configuration to melting point and electronegativity.

Y 39

Yttrium

Atomic number 39 · Group 3 · Period 5 · Transition Metal

A silvery metal with rare-earth chemistry — the backbone of YAG lasers, red phosphors, and high-temperature superconductors.

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Identity & Classification

Atomic Structure

Physical Properties

Thermodynamic Properties

Chemical Properties

Notable Isotopes

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Summary

Yttrium (symbol Y, atomic number 39) is a silvery-metallic transition metal in Group 3, Period 5 of the periodic table. Though classified as a transition metal, it shares many chemical characteristics with the lanthanides and is often grouped with the rare-earth elements. This reference card consolidates its atomic, physical, chemical, electronic, and thermodynamic properties in a single, searchable view.

How it works

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Properties are grouped into thematic sections: identity, atomic structure, physical, thermodynamic, and chemical.
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All data is sourced from peer-reviewed references including IUPAC and WebElements.

Use cases

Quick reference during chemistry homework or exams.
Verify data for lab reports or research papers on rare-earth elements.
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Study periodic trends across Period 5 transition metals.
Research applications in superconductors, lasers, and phosphors.
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Last updated: 2026-09-30 · Reviewed by Nham Vu