On the periodic table, the element named after Scandinavia and symbolized Sc is scandium.
Scandium is a silvery metallic element with atomic number 21. It is a transition metal in group 3 and period 4. The name was chosen because the element was discovered in minerals from Scandinavia and its existence had been predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev as “eka-boron.”
Swedish chemist Lars Fredrik Nilson discovered scandium in 1879 while studying rare-earth minerals. Per Teodor Cleve soon recognized that it matched Mendeleev’s prediction. Scandium is not abundant in Earth’s crust, and it is usually obtained as a by-product of processing other ores.
Scandium compounds and alloys have specialized uses. Small amounts of scandium can strengthen aluminum alloys, which are useful where low weight and high strength matter. It is sometimes confused with similarly named elements such as samarium or silicon, but its name specifically refers to Scandinavia.