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Element 58 - Cerium (Ce) sound

After the asteroid Ceres; discovered 1803; most abundant of the rare-earth elements. It is the chief ingredient (just under 50 percent) of misch-metal alloy. Cerium is used in alloy to make heat-resistant jet-engine parts; its oxide is a promising new petroleum cracking catalyst.

Properties

Atomic Number: 58
Atomic Weight: 140.12
Electron Configuration (at ground state): 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s24p64d104f25s25p66s2
Oxidation States (Bold most stable): +3, +4
Boiling Point (K): 3715
Melting Point (K): 1071
Density (at 300K -- g/cm3): 6.77
Atomic Volume (at 300K -- cm3/mol) 21.0
Number of stable isotopes: 4
Mass Number (Bold naturally occurring) -- Half-Life -- Disintigration Type: 144 -- 284 days -- beta particle (electron) emission
Covalent Radius (Å): 1.65
Atomic Radius (Å): 1.81
First Ionization Potential (V): 5.47
Electronegativity (Pauling's): 1.12
Specific Heat Capacity (at 300K -- J g-1 K-1): 0.19
Heat of Vaporization (kJ/mol): 313.8
Heat of Fusion (kJ/mol): 9.20
Electrical Conductivity (at 293K for polycrystalline material -- 106 (ohms)-1 cm-1): 1.4
Thermal Conductivity (at 300K -- W m-1 K-1): 11.4
Crystal Structure: Cubic, face centered
Acid-Base Properties: Very basic