The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
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The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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Cerium is the fourth element in Row 6 of the periodic table. It belongs to the family known as the lanthanides, named after the first member of that series, lanthanum (atomic number 47). The members of this family are also known as the rare earth elements. The name arose originally not because of their scarcity in the Earth's crust, but because of the difficulty of separating the lanthanide elements from each other. Cerium's atomic number is 58, its atomic mass is 140.12, and its chemical symbol is Ce.
Cerium is an iron-gray metal with a melting point of 1,463°F (795°C), and a boiling point of 5,895°F (3,257°C). Its density is 6.78 grams per cubic centimeter. It is ductile and malleable and exists in four different allotropic forms.
Cerium is a relatively active metal. It can be set on fire simply by scratching the surface with a knife. It also reacts slowly with cold water, rapidly with hot water, and with most acids.
Cerium is thought to rank about 26th in abundance among elements found in the Earth's crust with an estimated abundance of 40-66 parts per million. It occurs most commonly in the minerals known as cerite, monazite, and bastnasite.
Cerium was discovered in 1839 by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustav Mosander. Mosander was studying a new rock that had been found outside the town of Bastnas, Sweden, a rock from which six other elements were also to be discovered eventually. Mosander suggested the name of cerium for the element in honor of the asteroid Ceres that had been discovered in 1801.
Cerium and its compounds have a great variety of uses, many of them in the field of glass and ceramics. Cerium and its compounds are added to these materials to add color (yellow), remove unwanted color, make glass sensitive to certain forms of radiation, add special optical qualities to glass, and strengthen certain kinds of dental materials. Cerium is also used in the manufacture of lasers and phosphors used in cathode ray tubes.