From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaCerium is a chemical element with symbol Ce and atomic number 58. It is a soft, silvery, ductile metal which easily oxidizes in air. Cerium was named after the dwarf planet Ceres (itself named after the Roman goddess of agriculture). | |||||||||||||
Cerium in the periodic table | |||||||||||||
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Symbol | Ce | ||||||||||||
Atomic number | 58 | ||||||||||||
Group | 0 | ||||||||||||
Period | 6 | ||||||||||||
Block | f | ||||||||||||
Element category | Lanthanide | ||||||||||||
Physical properties | |||||||||||||
Phase at STP | Solid | ||||||||||||
Density | 6.77 g/cm3 | ||||||||||||
Atomic weight | 140.116 u | ||||||||||||
Melting point | 1068 K 794.85 °C 1462.73 °F | ||||||||||||
Boiling point | 3716 K 3442.85 °C 6229.13 °F | ||||||||||||
Atomic properties | |||||||||||||
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale) | 1.12 | ||||||||||||
Electron affinity | 55 kJ/mol | ||||||||||||
Oxidation states | +1, +2, +3, +4 (a mildly basic oxide) | ||||||||||||
Ionization energies |
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Electron configuration | |||||||||||||
Elektronkonfiguration (shorthand) | [Xe] 4f1 5d1 6s2 | ||||||||||||
Electron configuration | 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f1 5s2 5p6 5d1 6s2 | ||||||||||||
Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 18, 19, 9, 2 | ||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||
Discovered | 1803 | ||||||||||||
Discovered by | Martin Heinrich Klaproth Wilhelm Hisinger Jöns Jacob Berzelius |