chemistry

Lanthanum decahydride

Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride rather than just read about it. In short: Lanthanum decahydride is a polyhydride or superhydride compound of lanthanum and hydrogen (LaH10) that has shown evidence of being a high-temperature superconductor. It was the first metal superhydride to be theoretically predicted, synthesized, and experimentally confirmed to superconduct at near room-temperatures.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Lanthanum decahydride is a polyhydride or superhydride compound of lanthanum and hydrogen (LaH10) that has shown evidence of being a high-temperature superconductor. It was the first metal superhydride to be theoretically predicted, synthesized, and experimentally confirmed to superconduct at near room-temperatures. It has a superconducting transition temperature Tc around 250 K (−23 °C; −10 °F) at a pressure of 150 GPa (22 million psi), and its synthesis required pressures above approximately 160 GPa (23 million psi).

Synopsis Since its discovery in 2019, the superconducting properties of LaH10 and other lanthanum-based superhydrides have been experimentally confirmed in multiple independent experiments. The compound exhibits a Meissner effect below the superconducting transition temperature. A cubic form can be synthesized at 1,000 K (730 °C; 1,340 °F), and a hexagonal crystal structure can be formed at room temperature. Further reports indicate Tc is increased with nitrogen doping, and decreased with the introduction of magnetic impurities. The cubic form has each lanthanum atom surrounded by 32 hydrogen atoms, which form the vertices of an 18-faced shape called a chamfered cube. A similar compound, lanthanum boron octahydride, was computationally predicted to be a superconductor at 126 K (−147 °C; −233 °F) and pressure 50 GPa (7.3 million psi).

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lanthanum decahydride

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride

In research: Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride 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: Lanthanum decahydride is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics High-temperature superconductors, Lanthanum compounds, Metal hydrides, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lanthanum decahydride 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.

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How to study Lanthanum decahydride in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lanthanum decahydride in simple terms?

Why does Lanthanum decahydride 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 Lanthanum decahydride?

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 Lanthanum decahydride.