What is Gadolinium?
[[File:Gadolinium.jpg|thumb|A piece of Gadolinium.]] '''Gadolinium''' is a [[chemical element]]. It has the chemical symbol '''Gd'''. It has the [[atomic number]] 64. It is part of a group of chemical elements in the periodic table named the [[Lanthanides]]. It is a [[rare earth element]]. It is silvery white, [[malleable]] and [[wikt:ductile|ductile]]. Its main uses are as [[chemical compounds]] in color [[television]]s and [[nuclear magnetic resonance]] [[radio contrast agent]]s. In color [[cathode ray tube]] televisions (the type first produced, not flat televisions) some of the [[pixel]]s are dots of gadolinium compounds. When the electrons from the cathode ray tube hit the pixels and transfer [[energy]] to the gadolinium compounds they give out [[light]] as energy. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging is used in [[medicine]] where it is named MRI ([[Magnetic resonance imaging]]). It is used to take picture of inside the [[body]]. How the pictures look is changed by the gadolinium compounds and how much [[water]] is around. It makes the images clearer because it makes the difference in the [[concentration (chemistry)|concentration]] of water in different parts of the [[body]] look more clear (more [[contrast]]) in the picture that is made. ==Related pages== * [[Periodic table]] * [[List of common elements]] == Other websites == * [http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Gd/index.html WebElements.com - Gadolinium] * [http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele064.html It's Elemental – Gadolinium] {{Periodic Table}} {{chem-stub}} [[Category:Lanthanides]]