Dysprosium (Dy)
Element 66 · Lanthanide · atomic mass 162.5 u · f-block, period 6
Electron shells: 2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2
Dysprosium is added to neodymium magnets so they keep working when hot, which matters enormously in electric motors. Supply is concentrated and strategically sensitive.
Without a few percent dysprosium, an EV motor magnet would weaken as the motor heats up.
- Atomic number
- 66
- Atomic mass
- 162.5 u
- Electron configuration
- [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁰
- Group · period · block
- f-block · 6 · f
- Oxidation states
- +3
- Electronegativity
- 1.22 (Pauling)
- Melting point
- 1,412 °C
- Boiling point
- 2,567 °C
- Density
- 8.55 g/cm³
- State at 20 °C
- Solid
- Appearance
- Silvery-white metal
- Discovered
- Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 1886
66 protons, and 66 electrons when neutral
IUPAC standard atomic weight
Shown in the strip below the table
What Dysprosium is used for
- High-temperature additive for EV magnets
- Nuclear control rods
- Magnetostrictive alloys
- Dosimeters
Atomic structure of Dysprosium
A neutral dysprosium atom has 66 protons and 66 electrons. Its most common isotope carries about 97 neutrons, which is where the mass number 163 comes from. Change the neutron count and you have a different isotope of dysprosium; change the proton count and you have a different element entirely.
Those electrons fill shells from the inside out: 2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2. In orbital notation that is [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁰. As a f-block element its valence count is variable, which is why it can form compounds in several oxidation states.
3D electron orbitals
See where Dysprosium's electrons actually are — a cloud of 26,000 points sampled from the probability density |ψ|², not a cartoon of a lobe.
Where Dysprosium sits in the periodic table
Discovery and naming
Dysprosium was discovered by Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886. Its name comes from Greek dysprositos, "hard to get at".
Keep exploring
Atomic weight from IUPAC/CIAAW; physical properties from PubChem (US National Library of Medicine). Values that have never been measured are shown as “not measured” rather than estimated.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the atomic mass of Dysprosium?
The standard atomic weight of Dysprosium is 162.5 u, as published by IUPAC's Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Dysprosium have?
Dysprosium has 66 protons, because the atomic number is the proton count and that is what makes an atom Dysprosium at all. A neutral Dysprosium atom has the same number of electrons, 66. The neutron count varies by isotope; the most common one has about 97, since 163 − 66 = 97.
What is the electron configuration of Dysprosium?
The electron configuration of Dysprosium is [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁰. Its electrons are arranged 2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2 across 6 shells.
Is Dysprosium a metal?
Yes. Dysprosium is classified as a lanthanide, on the metallic side of the table.
What group and period is Dysprosium in?
Dysprosium sits in the f-block strip below the main table, in period 6, among the lanthanides. Elements in that strip are not given a group number in the standard 18-column layout.
What is the charge of Dysprosium?
Dysprosium most commonly forms a 3+ ion. Like most transition metals it has several accessible oxidation states, so the charge depends on the compound.
What is the melting point of Dysprosium?
Dysprosium melts at 1,412 °C and boils at 2,567 °C. That puts it in the solids at everyday temperatures.
What is Dysprosium used for?
High-temperature additive for EV magnets, Nuclear control rods, Magnetostrictive alloys, Dosimeters. Dysprosium is added to neodymium magnets so they keep working when hot, which matters enormously in electric motors.
Who discovered Dysprosium, and where does its name come from?
Dysprosium (Dy) was discovered by Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886. The name comes from Greek dysprositos, "hard to get at".