chemistry

Gadolinium(III) iodide

Gadolinium(III) iodide is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gadolinium(III) iodide rather than just read about it. In short: Gadolinium(III) iodide is an iodide of gadolinium, with the chemical formula of GdI3. It is a yellow, highly hygroscopic solid with a bismuth(III) iodide-type crystal structure.

Key takeaways

Gadolinium(III) iodide belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gadolinium(III) iodide to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gadolinium(III) iodide from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gadolinium(III) iodide is an iodide of gadolinium, with the chemical formula of GdI3. It is a yellow, highly hygroscopic solid with a bismuth(III) iodide-type crystal structure. In air, it quickly absorbs moisture and forms hydrates. The corresponding oxide iodide is also readily formed at elevated temperature.

Preparation Gadolinium(III) iodide can be obtained by reacting gadolinium with iodine:

2 Gd + 3 I2 → 2 GdI3 It can also be obtained by reacting gadolinium with mercury(II) iodide in a vacuum at 500 °C:

2 Gd + 3 HgI2 → 2 GdI3 + 3 Hg Gadolinium(III) iodide can be obtained by the reaction between gadolinium(III) oxide and hydroiodic acid, crystallizing into the hydrate form. The hydrate form can be heated with ammonium iodide to form the anhydrous form.

Gd2O3 + 6 HI → 2 GdI3 + 3 H2O

Reactions Gadolinium(III) iodide reacts with gadolinium and zinc in an argon atmosphere heated to 850 °C to obtain Gd7I12Zn. It reacts with gadolinium, carbon, and gadolinium nitride in a tantalum tube at 897 °C to obtain nitrocarbide Gd4I6CN.

References

External reading Asprey, L. B.; Keenan, T. K.; Kruse, F. H. Preparation and crystal data for lanthanide and actinide triiodides. Inorg. Chem., 1964. 3 (8): 1137-1240

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gadolinium(III) iodide

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gadolinium(III) iodide claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gadolinium(III) iodide before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gadolinium(III) iodide ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gadolinium(III) iodide

In research: Gadolinium(III) iodide appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gadolinium(III) iodide in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gadolinium(III) iodide is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Gadolinium compounds, Iodides, Lanthanide halides, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gadolinium(III) iodide outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Gadolinium(III) iodide” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Gadolinium(III) iodide in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gadolinium(III) iodide means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Gadolinium(III) iodide out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gadolinium(III) iodide in simple terms?

Gadolinium(III) iodide is an iodide of gadolinium, with the chemical formula of GdI3. It is a yellow, highly hygroscopic solid with a bismuth(III) iodide-type crystal structure.

Why does Gadolinium(III) iodide matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gadolinium(III) iodide?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gadolinium(III) iodide.