What is Samarium?
Samarium is a metallic chemical element classified in the rare earth metals. Uses for the metal were limited until the 1950s, when a method for isolating samarium was developed, thus making pure samarium available for commercial use. Samarium is relatively rare in nature, and it is typically found in mineral compounds which must be treated to extract the samarium and other ores trapped inside. Average people rarely interact with samarium as it is not commonly used in consumer goods. Pure samarium is pale gray, with two allotropic forms, meaning that the crystalline structure of the pure element can change, depending on various circumstances. It also has a number of isotopes, and several oxides of samarium have commercial value as well. The pure element readily oxidizes, even in mediums like mineral oil, and it can spontaneously ignite in the right temperature conditions. The atomic number of samarium is 62, and it is identified with the symbol Sm on the periodic table of elements. The
