Cerium (Ce)
"Meet Cerium, the ultimate 'spark-plug' superhero! This reactive rare-earth genius ignites flames with a flick and purifies our air with its catalytic superpowers."
A memorable persona to anchor Ce in your mind.
6.77
Grams per cm³
799
Celsius (°C)
235
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
That satisfying 'clink and spark' from a cigarette lighter? Yep, that's Cerium getting the party started!
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1803
Discovered By
Jöns Jacob Berzelius & Wilhelm Hisinger
Origin of Name
"Cerium is named for the asteroid, Ceres, which in turn was named after the Roman goddess of agriculture."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
140.116 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
3443°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f15d16s2
1st Ionization Energy
5.539 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A shiny, silvery-white metal that's too shy to stay bright, quickly tarnishing in air."
Did You Know?
It's the most abundant of the so-called 'rare earth' elements! Don't let the name fool you – it's actually more common in Earth's crust than copper!
Ever lit a campfire with a lighter? That satisfying spark comes from an alloy called ferrocerium, where Cerium plays the explosive starring role!
Cerium is a superhero for our planet, helping catalytic converters in cars slash harmful emissions and keep our air cleaner.
Want a super-smooth screen? Cerium oxide is the secret ingredient for polishing high-precision optics, like your smartphone display or telescope lenses!