Cerium (Ce)

Cerium is a soft, ductile, and silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Jons Jacob Berzelius and Wilhelm Hisinger discovered cerium in 1803, naming it after the newly found asteroid Ceres.
• It is the most abundant rare-earth element, roughly as common in Earth's crust as copper.
• Pyrophoric cerium alloy makes lighter flints, while cerium oxide polishes glass and buffers oxygen in catalytic converters.

Specifications & Metrics

• NUM: 58
• SYMBOL: Ce
• CATEGORY: Lanthanide