the.com/holmium
The most magnetic element on Earth, hiding shy and useless in plain sight.
means A soft, silvery rare-earth metal (element 67, symbol Ho) notable for having the highest magnetic strength of any naturally occurring element.
from Named after Holmia, the Latin name for Stockholm, honoring the city near where the rare-earth ores were studied. It was identified spectroscopically in the late 19th century by Swedish-connected chemists, joining a cluster of 'rare earths' teased apart from the same stubborn Scandinavian minerals (the village of Ytterby alone lent its name to several elements). So holmium quietly carries a piece of Sweden's capital in its name.
- magnetic king
- Highest magnetic moment of any natural element
- named for
- Stockholm, where its discoverer worked
- day job
- Concentrates magnetic fields in MRI machines
- laser eyes
- Holmium lasers vaporize kidney stones
- loner element
- No biological role, no real everyday use
holmium oxide — used in nuclear reactor control rods and as a yellow pigment in glass and ceramics
holmium-165 — the only naturally occurring stable isotope of holmium, element 67 on the periodic table
holmium laser — surgical laser operating at 2.1 micrometers wavelength, approved by fda for urology and dermatology procedures