
Cerium element (Ce) is in period 6 of a periodic table. Cerium is in the f-block and it is classified as a lanthanide on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to cerium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Cerium element (Information Table)
- Cerium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Cerium
- Properties of Cerium
- Uses of Cerium
Cerium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to cerium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of cerium | Silvery white appearance |
Atomic number of cerium | 58 |
Symbol of cerium | Ce |
Atomic mass of cerium | 140.12 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in cerium | Protons: 58, Neutrons: 82, Electrons: 58 |
State of cerium (at STP) | Solid |
Period number of cerium in periodic table | 6 |
Block of cerium in periodic table | f-block |
Category of cerium | Inner transition metals |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in cerium | 2, 8, 18, 19, 9, 2 |
Electron configuration of cerium | [Xe] 4f1 5d1 6s2 |
Orbital diagram of cerium | ![]() |
Electronegativity of cerium (on pauling scale) | 1.12 |
Atomic radius of cerium (van der Waals radius) | 235 picometers |
Density of cerium | 6.69 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of cerium | 5.539 eV |
Main isotope of cerium | 140Ce |
Melting point of cerium | 1068 K or 795 °C or 1463 °F |
Boiling point of cerium | 3716 K or 3443 °C or 6229 °F |
Crystal structure of cerium | Face Centered Cubic (FCC) at room temp. |
Discovery of cerium | By Wilhelm Hisinger, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, Martin Heinrich Klaproth (in 1803) |
Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).
Cerium element in Periodic table
The Cerium element (Ce) has the atomic number 58 and is located in period 6. Cerium is a metal and it is classified as a lanthanide group element.
H | He | ||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr |
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe |
Cs | Ba | La* | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
Fr | Ra | Ac** | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | Cn | Nh | Fl | Mc | Lv | Ts | Og |
*Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | ||||
**Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr |
Facts about cerium
Here are a few interesting facts about cerium element.
- Cerium was given its name from the dwarf planet “Ceres”.
- The concentration of cerium in the earth’s crust is around 60 ppm by weight.
- Cerium has a largest deposition in India, Brazil and California.
- Cerium was discovered by Wilhelm Hisinger & Jons Jakob Berzelius in 1803. And the chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth also individually discovered the cerium element in the same year.
Properties of cerium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of cerium.
Physical properties of cerium
- Cerium has a silvery white metallic appearance.
- Cerium has a density of 6.69 g/cm3 and its atomic mass is 140.12 amu.
- Cerium can be drawn into thin sheets due to its malleability.
- The melting point and boiling point of cerium is 1068 K and 3716 K respectively.
- Cerium has many isotopes, but the most abundant isotope is 140Ce.
- Cerium has FCC crystal structure at room temperature.
Chemical properties of cerium
- Cerium is a reactive metal and so it is always found in compounds from the earth’s crust.
- Cerium also reacts with dilute acids as well as concentrated acids.
- Cerium forms an oxide layer on it when it is kept open in the air for a longer time.
- Cerium has an electronegativity of 1.12 on the pauling scale.
Uses of cerium
Here are some uses of the cerium element.
- Cerium is used in catalytic converters to treat the exhaust gas from the vehicles.
- Cerium oxide is a compound of cerium which is used as an additive in diesel fuel for improving the performance of diesel engines.
- Cerium is used in carbon arc lighting that is used in studio lighting.
- Cerium is also used in the alloy that is used in cigarette lighters.
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