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Material World

Neodymium vs Samarium

Neodymium and Samarium are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 2 measured properties, molar mass most clearly.

Neodymium vs Samarium

Neodymium

Nd

A rare earth that is not rare, and that made small powerful motors possible.

Samarium

Sm

The rare earth behind the magnets that work when neodymium ones fail.

Property comparison of Neodymium and Samarium
PropertyNeodymiumSamarium
Atomic number6062 higher
Mohs hardness

Mohs hardness is an ordinal scale: values can be ranked, but differences and ratios between them are not meaningful.

about 2.5about 2.5
Molar mass144.242 g/mol150.36 g/mol higher

Other comparisons