ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lanthanides

Lanthanides are special types of metals that are found in the Earth's crust. They have very unique properties that make them important for a lot of different things, like electronics, magnets, and even medicine!

There are 15 different elements in the lanthanide family, and they are all very similar to each other. They all have very strong magnetic properties, which means they can be used to create really powerful magnets that are used in things like MRI machines at the doctor's office.

They are also used in a lot of different types of electronics, like smartphones, TVs, and computers. These metals help to make the screens we look at and the chips that make our devices work.

It might be hard to believe, but lanthanides are even used in some types of cancer treatments! Doctors can use certain types of these metals to target cancer cells and destroy them.

So, these metals might be small, but they have a big impact on our world.
Related topics others have asked about: