Cerium

Atomic Number: 58
Symbol: Ce
Atomic Mass: 140.12 u
Number of Neutrons: 82
Melting Point: 795°C
Boiling Point: 3443°C
Electrons per shell: 2.8.18.19.9.2
Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f¹ 5d¹ 6s²

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Cerium is the 58th element in the periodic table and it is in the lanthanide series. This element is a soft, malleable silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air. It is very soft and can be cut through with a knife. Though, cerium is quite a heavy metal. This element is used in alloys for cigarette lighters. Cerium is the most abundant from all of the lanthanoids (rare-earth elements). It is about 0.0046 % of the Earth's crust by weight. Cerium is found in the ground in ores and minerals such as allanite, orthrite, monazite, bastnasite, cerite and samarskite. You get cerium from these ores by heating it up and treating it with hydrochloric acid. The places where you can find these ores are India, Brazil and in Southern California. Cerium was discovered in 1803 by Jacob Berzelius and Wilhelm von Hisinger in Sweden. They named this element cerium after the asteroid Ceres.

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