Meaning & use
europium
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablechemistrytechnical
A soft, silver-white metallic element of the rare-earth group, used mainly in phosphors for screens and lamps.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun; it normally takes no plural and no article: europium glows, not a europium.
Patterns
- europium compounds
- europium ions
- doped with europium
Europium gives the red glow in many older television screens.
The lab ordered a small sample of europium for its phosphor research.
Compounds of europium are used to make security marks on banknotes.
Common combinations
- europium oxide
- Europium oxide is added to glass to make a bright red phosphor.
- europium ion
- The europium ion emits light at a very specific wavelength.
- a sample of europium
- A sample of europium must be stored away from air and moisture.
- doped with europium
- The crystals were doped with europium to make them glow.
Word family
- europium noun
- The element itself; no other common English family words exist.
Commonly confused: europium or europium vs. Europe?
europium vs europium vs. Europe
Europium is the chemical element named after Europe; Europe is the continent itself. They sound similar but are not interchangeable.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'europium' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Europium is a chemical element, so it is a substance, not a place, animal, or unit. Option 1 confuses it with Europe, and options 2 and 3 give it the wrong category.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “europium”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.