This guide provides a comprehensive overview of lanthanum, a rare earth element that is essential to many modern technologies. It covers topics such as the element's properties, its uses in industry, and its environmental impact. Additionally, it provides an in
Lanthanum is a chemical element; it has symbol La and atomic number 57. It is a soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes slowly when exposed to air. It is the first and the prototype of the lanthanide series, a group of 15 similar elements between lanthanum and lutetium in the periodic table. Lanthanum is traditionally counted among the rare-earth elements. Like most other rare-earth elements, its usual oxidation state is +3, although some compounds are known with an oxidation state of +2. Lanthanum has no biological role in humans but is used by some bacteria. It is not particularly toxic to humans but does show some antimicrobial activity.