• Skip to page content
• Skip to site menu on this page

Periodic Table of Elements

Element Cerium - Ce

Comprehensive data on the chemical element Cerium is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Cerium. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. In addition technical terms are linked to their definitions and the menu contains links to related articles that are a great aid in one's studies.

Cerium Menu

• Cerium Page One
  • Overview of Cerium
  • Cerium's Name in Other Languages
  • Atomic Structure of Cerium
  • Chemical Properties of Cerium
  • Physical Properties of Cerium
  • Regulatory / Health
  • Who/When/Where/How
• Cerium Page Two
  • Nuclides / Isotopes
  • Potential Parent Nuclides

Overview of Cerium

• Atomic Number: 58
• Period: 6
• Series: Lanthanides

Cerium's Name in Other Languages

• Latin: Cerium
• Czech: Cer
• Croatian: Cerij
• French: Cérium
• German: Cer - r
• Italian: Cerio
• Norwegian: Cerium
• Portuguese: Cério
• Russian: Церий
• Spanish: Cério
• Swedish: Cerium

Atomic Structure of Cerium

• Atomic Radius: 2.7Å
• Atomic Volume: 20.67cm³/mol
• Covalent Radius: 1.65Å
• Cross Section (Thermal Neutron Capture)σ_a/barns: 0.6
• Crystal Structure: Cubic face centered

  

• Electron Configuration:

  1s² 2s²p⁶ 3s²p⁶d¹⁰ 4s²p⁶d¹⁰f¹ 5s²p⁶d¹ 6s²

• Electrons per Energy Level: 2,8,18,19,9,2

  Shell Model
  

• Ionic Radius: 1.034Å
• Filling Orbital: 4f²
• Number of Electrons (with no charge): 58
• Number of Neutrons (most common/stable nuclide): 82
• Number of Protons: 58
• Oxidation States: 3,4
• Valence Electrons: 4f² 6s²

  Electron Dot Model
  

Chemical Properties of Cerium

• Electrochemical Equivalent: 1.7426g/amp-hr
• Electron Work Function: 2.84eV
• Electronegativity: 1.12 (Pauling); 1.06 (Allrod Rochow)
• Heat of Fusion: 5.46kJ/mol
• Incompatibilities:

• Ionization Potential
  • First: 5.54
  • Second: 10.851
  • Third: 20.2
• Valence Electron Potential (-eV): 41.78

Physical Properties of Cerium

• Atomic Mass Average: 140.115
• Boiling Point: 3699K 3426°C 6199°F
• Coefficient of lineal thermal expansion/K^-1: 8.5E^-6
• Conductivity

  Electrical: 0.0115 10⁶/cm Ω
  Thermal: 0.114 W/cmK

• Density: 6.77g/cc @ 300K
• Description:

  Soft gray rare earth metal.

• Elastic Modulus:
  • Bulk: 22/GPa
  • Rigidity: 14/GPa
  • Youngs: 34/GPa
• Enthalpy of Atomization: 381 kJ/mole @ 25°C
• Enthalpy of Fusion: 5.46 kJ/mole
• Enthalpy of Vaporization: 414 kJ/mole
• Flammablity Class:
• Freezing Point: see melting point
• Hardness Scale
  • Brinell: 412 MN m^-2
  • Mohs: 2.5
  • Vickers: 270 MN m^-2
• Heat of Vaporization: 414kJ/mol
• Melting Point: 1071K 798°C 1468°F
• Molar Volume: 20.7 cm³/mole
• Physical State (at 20°C & 1atm): Solid
• Specific Heat: 0.19J/gK

Regulatory / Health

• CAS Number
  • 7440-45-1
• RTECS: FK4850000
• OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
  • No limits set by OSHA
• OSHA PEL Vacated 1989
  • No limits set by OSHA
• NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)
  • No limits set by NIOSH
• Levels In Humans:
  Note: this data represents naturally occuring levels of elements in the typical human, it DOES NOT represent recommended daily allowances.
  • Blood/mg dm^-3: <0.002
  • Bone/p.p.m: 2.7
  • Liver/p.p.m: 0.29
  • Muscle/p.p.m: n/a
  • Daily Dietary Intake: n/a but very low
  • Total Mass In Avg. 70kg human: 40 mg

Who / Where / When / How

• Discoverer: W. von Hisinger, J.J. Berzelius
• Discovery Location: Vestmanland Sweden
• Discovery Year: 1803
• Name Origin:

  From the asteroid Ceres discovered in 1801.

• Abundance of Cerium:
  • Earth's Crust/p.p.m.: 68
  • Seawater/p.p.m.:
    • Atlantic Suface: 0.000009
    • Atlantic Deep: 0.0000026
    • Pacific Surface: 0.0000015
    • Pacific Deep: 0.0000005
  • Atmosphere/p.p.m.: N/A
  • Sun (Relative to H=1E¹²): 35.5
• Sources of Cerium:

  Most abundant rare earth metal. Found in many minerals like monazite [Ce(PO₄)]. World production is around 24,000 tons per year. Main mining areas are in USA, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, China.

• Uses of Cerium:

  Used in alloys to make them heat-resistant. Also used in glass, flints and ceramics.

• Additional Notes:

  Cerium was first isolated by W.F. Hillebrand and T.H. Norton in 1875 in Washington DC United States.

Cerium Menu

• Cerium Page One
  • Overview of Cerium
  • Cerium's Name in Other Languages
  • Atomic Structure of Cerium
  • Chemical Properties of Cerium
  • Physical Properties of Cerium
  • Regulatory / Health
  • Who/When/Where/How
• Cerium Page Two
  • Nuclides / Isotopes
  • Potential Parent Nuclides

References

A list of reference sources used to compile the data provided on our periodic table of elements can be found on the main periodic table page.

Related Resources

• Anatomy of the Atom
  Answers many questions regarding the structure of atoms.
• Molarity, Molality and Normality
  Introduces stoichiometry and explains the differences between molarity, molality and normality.
• Molar Mass Calculations and Javascript Calculator
  Molar mass calculations are explained and there is a JavaScript calculator to aid calculations.
• Chemical Database
  This database focuses on the most common chemical compounds used in the home and industry.

Citing this page

If you need to cite this page, you can copy this text:

Kenneth Barbalace. Periodic Table of Elements - Cerium - Ce. EnvironmentalChemistry.com. 1995 - 2024. Accessed on-line: 12/30/2024
https://EnvironmentalChemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Ce.html
.