| Reactions of Gadolinium |
 Reactions with water |
| Gadolinium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water to form gadolinium
hydroxide, Gd(OH)3, and hydrogen gas (H2).
|
2Gd(s) + 6H2O(g) 2Gd(OH)3(aq) + 3H2(g) |
| Reactions with air |
| Gadolinium metal burns readily in air to form Gadolinium(III) oxide. |
| 4Gd(s) + 3O2(g)2Gd2O3 |
| Reactions with halogens |
| Gadolinium metal reacts with all the halogens to form gadolinium(III) halides. |
| 2Gd(s) + 3F2(g)2GdF3(s) |
| 2Gd(s) + 3Cl2(g)2GdCl3(s) |
| 2Gd(s) + 3Br2(g)2GdBr3(s) |
| 2Gd(s) + 3I2(g)2GdI3(s) |
| Reactions with acids |
| Gadolinium metal dissolves readily in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the Gd(III) ion together with hydrogen gas.
|
| 2Gd(s) + 3H2SO4(aq)2Gd3+(aq) + 3SO42-(aq) + 3H2(g) |
| |