cerium

/'siəriəm/

Thân thiện

A scientist holds a small sample of cerium in a laboratory.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chemical element: Cerium is a metallic element with the symbol Ce and atomic number 58. It is part of the lanthanide series on the periodic table.
   • Physical properties: It is a ductile, silvery-grey metal that tarnishes when exposed to air.
   • Abundance and use: It is the most abundant element among the rare-earth metals and is used in applications such as lighter flints, catalysts, and glass polishing.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cerium is extracted from minerals like monazite and bastnäsite.
  • The alloy contained a small percentage of cerium to improve its properties.
  • Scientists are studying new compounds of cerium for catalytic converters.

Advanced Usage

• "Cerium oxide" (CeO₂): Also known as ceria, this is a common compound of cerium used as a polishing agent and in automotive catalytic converters.
  • Cerium oxide is an excellent material for polishing glass lenses.

Variants and Related Words

• Ceric (adj): Relating to or containing cerium, especially in its tetravalent state (Ce⁴⁺).
  • Ceric ammonium nitrate is a common oxidizing agent in organic chemistry.
• Cerous (adj): Relating to or containing cerium in its trivalent state (Ce³⁺).
  • Cerous salts are typically pale yellow or colorless.

Synonyms

• Element 58: Referring to its atomic number.
• Rare-earth metal: Describing its classification within the lanthanide series. (Note: While cerium is a rare-earth element, this is a broader category.)

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Cerium mischmetal: An alloy of cerium and other rare-earth metals, historically used in lighter flints.
  • The spark was created by striking a piece of cerium mischmetal.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group

Từ đồng nghĩa

• Ce
• atomic number 58