Chemical Symbol --
Sc
Group IIIB -- A first row
transition element
Discovered by
Lars Fredrik Nilson in
1879, eight years after
Mendeleyev predicted it's existence, using
the periodic table. This discovery led to the widespread acceptance of the periodic table. Lars named it after his homeland,
Scandinavia.
Scandium has a high melting point and a resistance to to corrosion. Because of this it is of interest to aerospace industry.
Scandium forms very few useful compounds, but is used in lamps to make the color of the light closer to that of sunlight. These lamps are often used to light football and baseball stadiums. Scandium-46 is also used as a tracer in the refining of petroleum.