General Properties

In general, the rare earths are malleable and ductile—they can be hammered into shape and drawn into wire. Their freshly cut surfaces are silvery white, but the metals promptly tarnish and become gray. The rare earths are good reducing agents; that is, in chemical reactions they readily lose electrons to atoms of other elements. They can be magnetized, and are easily dissolved in dilute acids. The rare earths are always found combined with other elements.