Lanthanum

periodic table · rare-earth metals · chemistry

Silvery and Soft. Lanthanum is a soft, silvery-white metal that looks shiny when clean but slowly tarnishes, or darkens, when it sits in air for a while.

Lanthanide Leader. Lanthanum is the first element in the lanthanide series, a group of 15 very similar elements on the periodic table that come between lanthanum and lutetium.

Element Number 57. Lanthanum has the atomic number 57 and the symbol La, meaning it has 57 protons in its nucleus.

Bacteria's Secret Tool. While lanthanum doesn't help human bodies work, some bacteria actually use it to survive and do their jobs, showing that even rare metals have surprising purposes in nature.

Gently Antimicrobial. Lanthanum is not very toxic to people but does have some ability to fight germs and bacteria, making it useful in certain applications.