Europium

General properties
Name, symbol, number	europium, Eu, 63
Element category	lanthanide
Group, period, block	n/a, 6, f
Standard atomic weight	151.964
Electron configuration	[Xe] 4f7 6s2 2, 8, 18, 25, 8, 2
History
Discovery	Eugène-Anatole Demarçay (1896)
First isolation	Eugène-Anatole Demarçay (1901)

Europium is a chemical element with the symbol Eu and atomic number 63. It is named after the continent of Europe. It is a moderately hard, silvery metal which readily oxidizes in air and water. Being a typical member of the lanthanide series, europium usually assumes the oxidation state +3, but the oxidation state +2 is also common: all europium compounds with oxidation state +2 are slightly reducing. Europium has no significant biological role and is relatively non-toxic compared to other heavy metals. Most applications of europium exploit the phosphorescence of europium compounds.

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