Element 58
Cerium (Ce)
Cerium (Ce) is element 58 of the periodic table, a lanthanide in period 6 (f-block) with an atomic mass of 140.12 and is a solid at standard conditions.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 58
- Symbol
- Ce
- Atomic mass
- 140.12 u
- Category
- Lanthanides
- Period
- 6
- Block
- f-block
- Phase at STP
- solid
Electron structure
- Electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f1 5s2 5p6 5d1 6s2
- Shorthand configuration
- [Xe] 4f1 5d1 6s2
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 19, 9, 2
- Oxidation states
- +2, +3, +4
Physical properties
- Melting point
- 1068 K
- Boiling point
- 3716 K
- Density
- 6.77 g/cm3
- Phase
- solid
Atomic properties
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.12
- Atomic radius
- 185 pm
- Covalent radius
- 204 pm
- First ionization energy
- 534 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 50 kJ/mol
Notable isotopes
| Isotope | Mass | Abundance | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ce-140 | 139.90544 | 88.45% | Stable |
Common uses
- Catalytic converters
- Glass polishing
- Self-cleaning ovens
- Lighter flints
Discovery
- Year
- 1803
- Discovered by
- Jöns Jacob Berzelius, Wilhelm Hisinger
- Country
- Sweden