Chemical Element: thulium

(Modern Latin: from Greek, Thule, the Greek name for land north of Britain or for Scandinavia; rare earth)

Chemical-Element Information

Symbol: Tm
Atomic number: 69
Year discovered: 1879

Discovered by: Per Teodor Cleve (1840-1905), a Swedish chemist.

Per Teodor Cleve of Sweden discovered holmium, in 1879, while working on erbia earth (erbium oxide).
Thulium oxide (holmia) was present as an impurity in erbia.
The element is named after Thule, the ancient name for Scandinavia.
Greek geographers thought Thule was the most northerly region of the habitable world.
The metal is readily oxidized by air or by water.

Name in other languages:

French: thulium

German: Thulium

Italian: tulio

Spanish: tulio

Information about other elements may be seen at this Chemical Elements List.

A special unit about words that include chemo-, chem- may be seen here.

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