Properties of Lanthanum (La)

Lanthanum is a chemical element with the symbol (La) and atomic number 57. It belongs to the lanthanide series, a group of elements in the periodic table. Lanthanum is a soft, silvery-white metal that is highly reactive and oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air. It is often used in combination with other elements to create alloys with special properties.

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The following table provides a comprehensive list of lanthanum (La) properties in both SI and US customary/Imperial units at normal temperature and pressure (NTP).

Click on the button to switch between Metric and Imperial units.

Table of Lanthanum Properties
Physical Properties
Metric
Crystal StructureDouble hexagonal close-packed (dhcp)
Atomic Number57
Molar Mass138.905 g/mol
Density6150 kg/m3
Mechanical PropertiesMetric
Young’s Modulus (E)36.6 GPa
Shear Modulus (G)14.3 GPa
Bulk Modulus (K)27.9 GPa
Poisson’s Ratio (ν)0.28
Mohs Hardness2.5
Thermal PropertiesMetric
Melting Point920 °C
Boiling Point3464 °C
Thermal Conductivity (27°C)13.5 W/m·K
Specific Heat Capacity (Cp) (25°C)195 J/kg·K
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (αL) (25°C)1.21×10-5 1/°C
Electrical PropertiesMetric
Electrical Resistivity6.15×10-5 Ω·cm

Unless stated otherwise, all values are taken at room temperature (approximately 20°C or 68°F) and 1 atm pressure. (1 atm = 101,325 Pa)

Related Pages
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 2) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017. 3) A.M. Howatson, P.G. Lun, J.D. Todd, P.D. Engineering Tables and Data. United Kingdom: University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, 2009.