Lanthanides
Gadolinium
A magnetic rare earth used in MRI contrast agents.
Atomic #64Mass157.25Blockf-blockPeriod6Group—
Gd64 · 157.25
3D Atom Explorer
Inside the Gadolinium atom
Switch between Bohr and Quantum Cloud modes to compare a simple teaching model with a more realistic probability-based view, and follow the guided tour to explore the Gadolinium atom step by step.
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Electron configuration
[Xe] 4f7 5d1 6s2
A neutral Gadolinium atom has 64 electrons (equal to its proton count). Choosing a different isotope above changes only the neutron count.
Shell distribution
Shell 12 e⁻Shell 28 e⁻Shell 318 e⁻Shell 425 e⁻Shell 59 e⁻Shell 62 e⁻
Electrons fill inner shells before outer ones; the outermost (valence) shell drives the element's chemistry.
Properties
Physical & atomic properties
- State (room temp)
- Solid
- Melting point
- 1585 K (1312 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3546 K (3273 °C)
- Density
- 7.895 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 1.2 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 180 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 593 kJ/mol
- Category
- Lanthanides
History
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- 1880
- Discovered by
- Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac
- Origin of name
- Chemist Johan Gadolin.
Notable uses
MRI contrast agents and neutron-absorbing shields.
Cosmic origin
Where Gadolinium comes from
Neutron star mergers
Dominated by rapid neutron capture in extremely neutron-rich environments.
Simplified origin map — many elements form through more than one astrophysical pathway.
Summary
- Atomic number
- 64
- Atomic mass
- 157.25
- Category
- Lanthanides
- Group · Period
- — · 6
- Block
- f-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 25 · 9 · 2