Scandium

metal · rare elements · periodic table · Scandinavia

Discovered by light. Scientists found scandium in 1879 by analyzing light from minerals using spectral analysis, which is like reading a fingerprint that only this element could make.

Silvery-white treasure. Scandium is a shiny metallic element that looks like polished silver, and it belongs to a group called rare-earth elements even though it's actually not super rare.

Named after Scandinavia. The element got its name because scientists found it in minerals from Scandinavia, the region that includes countries like Sweden and Norway.

Special spot on table. Scandium has atomic number 21, which means its atoms have 21 protons, and it hangs out in the d-block of the periodic table where many colorful and useful metals live.

Rare-earth category. Scientists group scandium with yttrium and lanthanides as rare-earth elements, even though they're found in Earth's crust more often than the name suggests.