chemistry

Samarium(III) sulfate

Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate rather than just read about it. In short: Samarium(III) sulfate is a samarium compound with the chemical formula Sm2(SO4)3. A hygroscopic white octahydrate exists as well as a pentahydrate.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Samarium(III) sulfate is a samarium compound with the chemical formula Sm2(SO4)3. A hygroscopic white octahydrate exists as well as a pentahydrate.

Properties The octahydrate exhibits mechanoluminescence under ultrasonic action.

Structure The octahydrate forms monoclinic crystals (space group C2/c (No. 15)). The pentahydrate has the same space group and the following cell parameters: a = 15.653 Å, b = 9.5369 Å, c = 10.199 Å, β = 120.36°, V = 1313.9 Å3, Z = 1).

Preparation Samarium(III) sulfate can be prepared by treating samarium oxide with sulfuric acid.

Reactions The hydrated compound dehydrates between 100 °C and 300 °C. The anhydrous compound decomposes at approximately 700 °C forming the oxysulfate (Sm2O2SO4). Upon further heating, the oxysulfate decomposes to samarium oxide above 1210 °C. Samarium oxysulfide (Sm2O2S) can be obtained by the reduction of samarium sulfate with hydrogen at 700 °C.

Related compounds Several samarium double sulfates have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction; for example, ammonium samarium sulfate tetrahydrate (NH4Sm(SO4)2·H2O). Several organic amine templated samarium sulfates have also been characterized.

Samarium(II) sulfate Samarium(II) sulfate is unstable. An orange suspension of samarous sulfate can be obtained by treating aqueous samarium chloride containing 5-10% ethanol with magnesium and a little sulfuric acid.

References

Further reading Marshall, William L.; Slusher, Ruth (1975-10-01). "Solubility and thermodynamic functions for a 3–2 salt, samarium sulfate, in water and sulfuric acid solutions at temperatures to 350°C". Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry. 37 (10): 2171–2176. doi:10.1016/0022-1902(75)80852-9. ISSN 0022-1902.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Samarium(III) sulfate

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate

In research: Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate 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: Samarium(III) sulfate is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Samarium compounds, Sulfates, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Samarium(III) sulfate in simple terms?

Samarium(III) sulfate is a samarium compound with the chemical formula Sm2(SO4)3. A hygroscopic white octahydrate exists as well as a pentahydrate.

Why does Samarium(III) sulfate 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 Samarium(III) sulfate?

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 Samarium(III) sulfate.