Cesium element (Cs) is in group 1 and period 6 of a periodic table. Cesium is in the s-block and it is classified as an alkali metal on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to cesium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Cesium element (Information Table)
- Cesium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Cesium
- Properties of Cesium
- Uses of Cesium
Cesium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to cesium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of cesium | Silvery pale golden appearance |
Atomic number of cesium | 55 |
Symbol of cesium | Cs |
Atomic mass of cesium | 132.91 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in cesium | Protons: 55, Neutrons: 78, Electrons: 55 |
State of cesium (at STP) | Solid |
Group number of cesium in periodic table | 1 |
Period number of cesium in periodic table | 6 |
Block of cesium in periodic table | s-block |
Category of cesium | Alkali metal |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in cesium | 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 1 |
Electron configuration of cesium | [Xe] 6s1 |
Orbital diagram of cesium | |
Valence electron in cesium | 1 |
Electronegativity of cesium (on pauling scale) | 0.79 |
Atomic radius of cesium (van der Waals radius) | 343 picometers |
Density of cesium | 1.88 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of cesium | 3.894 eV |
Main isotope of cesium | 133Cs |
Melting point of cesium | 301.7 K or 28.5 °C or 83.3 °F |
Boiling point of cesium | 944 K or 671 °C or 1240 °F |
Crystal structure of cesium | Body Centered Cubic (BCC) |
Discovery of cesium | By Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen (in 1860) |
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).
Cesium element in Periodic table
The Cesium element (Cs) has the atomic number 55 and is located in group 1 and period 6. Cesium is in solid state at STP and it is classified as an alkali metal on the periodic table.
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 |
Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.
Facts about cesium
Here are a few interesting facts about cesium.
- Cesium was given its name from the Latin word “caesius”, meaning sky blue.
- Cesium is the 50th most abundant element present in the earth’s crust.
- The concentration of cesium in the earth’s crust is around 3 ppm by weight.
- Bernic lake (in Canada) has the largest deposits of Pollucite (which is an ore of cesium).
- The density of cesium metal is twice the density of water.
Properties of cesium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of cesium.
Physical properties of cesium
- Cesium has a silvery pale golden appearance.
- Cesium is ductile and it can be drawn into thin wires.
- Cesium is a very soft metal (just like a wax). Cesium can be cut with a kitchen knife.
- The melting point and boiling point of cesium are 28.5 °C and 671 °C respectively.
- There are many isotopes of cesium and the most abundant isotope is 133Cs.
- Cesium has FCC crystal structure.
Chemical properties of cesium
- Cesium is a very reactive alkali metal and because of this it is always found in compounds with other elements.
- Cesium has 1 valence electron and this electron is lost during a chemical reaction to gain stability.
- Cesium is highly reactive and it is always kept in kerosene or mineral oil to prevent its reaction with air.
- Cesium reacts violently with water and forms cesium hydroxide.
Uses of cesium
Here are some uses of the cesium element.
- Cesium is used in the hydrogenation of organic compounds.
- Cesium is also used in vacuum tubes to remove oxygen gas.
- Some compounds of cesium are also used in the manufacturing of optical glasses.
- Cesium is used in photomultiplier tubes as well as photoelectric cells.
External resources:
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- Caesium – Wikipedia. (2010, September 26). Caesium – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesium
- Cesium and Rubidium Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Cesium and Rubidium Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/cesium-and-rubidium-statistics-and-information
- Atomic Data for Cesium (Cs). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Cesium (Cs). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/cesiumtable1.htm
- Caesium – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Caesium – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/55/caesium
- Prohaska, T., et al. (2022, May 1). Standard atomic weights of the elements 2021 (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 94(5), 573–600. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0603
- Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
- Kaye, G W.C., & Laby, T H. Tables of physical and chemical constants. 15th Edition. United States.
- Sansonetti, J. E., & Martin, W. C. (2005, December). Handbook of Basic Atomic Spectroscopic Data. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 34(4), 1559–2259. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1800011
- Bondi, A. (1964, March). van der Waals Volumes and Radii. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 68(3), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1021/j100785a001
- Holden, et al. (2018, December 1). IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the Education Community (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(12), 1833–2092. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
- Zhang, et al. (2011, January 11). Corrected Values for Boiling Points and Enthalpies of Vaporization of Elements in Handbooks. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 56(2), 328–337. https://doi.org/10.1021/je1011086
- Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/55.shtml
- C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – CESIUM. (n.d.). C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – CESIUM. https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/80th/cesium.html?
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