| Reactions of Holmium |
 Reactions with water |
| The silvery white metal holmium is quite electropositive and reacts slowly with cold water and quite quickly with hot water
to form holmium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
|
2Ho(s) + 6H2O(g)  2Ho(OH)3(aq) + 3H2(g) |
| Reactions with air |
| Holmium metal tarnishes slowly in air and burns readily to form holmium (III) oxide. |
| 4Ho(s) + 3O2(g)2Ho2O3(s) |
| Reactions with halogens |
| Holmium metal reacts with all the halogens to form holmium(III) halides. |
| 2Ho(s) + 3F2(g)2HoF3(s) |
| 2Ho(s) + 3Cl2(g)2HoCl3(s) |
| 2Ho(s) + 3Br2(g)2HoBr3(s) |
| 2Ho(s) + 3I2(g)2HoI3(s) |
| Reactions with acids |
| Holmium metal dissolves readily in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the yellow aquated Ho(III) ion together
with hydrogen gas.
|
| 3Ho(s) + 3H2SO4(aq)2Ho3+(aq) + 3SO42-(aq) + 3H2(g) |
| |