Cerium
Cerium is an abundant rare-earth metal whose compounds readily switch between oxidation states.
Cerium is a useful partner in materials that spark, polish and catalyse.
Explore Cerium's atom- Atomic number
- 58
- Standard atomic weight
- 140.116(1)
- Family
- Lanthanide
- Period
- 6
- Group
- f-block
- Standard state
- Solid
In everyday life
Cerium compounds are used in glass polishing and catalytic converters.
Something to remember
Cerium was named after Ceres, discovered shortly before the element.
Meet its electrons
[Xe] 6s2 4f1 5d1
Published neutral-atom ground-state configuration; excited atoms and ions can differ.
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 19 · 9 · 2.
The playground shows an illustrative shell model. Real electrons are described by quantum orbitals, rather than tiny planets traveling along fixed paths.
A connection to explore
Cerium and iron occur in alloys that produce sparks when struck.
Meet Iron (Fe)Properties and conditions
- Standard atomic weight
- 140.116(1)CIAAW 2024 standard atomic weight (dimensionless). Parentheses give uncertainty in the last quoted digits. Source flags: g.CIAAW standard atomic weights ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Standard state
- SolidPubChem classification, including explicit predictions where stated. Reference temperature and pressure are not supplied in the table.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- First ionisation energy
- 5.539 eVEnergy to remove the first electron from an isolated neutral gas-phase atom. Uncertainty is not supplied.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Electronegativity
- 1.12 Pauling scaleA dimensionless relative measure; values depend on the chosen scale. Uncertainty is not supplied.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Melting point
- 1071 KPubChem reported value. Pressure, allotrope and measurement uncertainty are not specified in the table; consult the cited source.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Boiling point
- 3697 KPubChem reported value. Pressure and measurement uncertainty are not specified in the table; consult the cited source.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Density
- 6.770 g/cm³PubChem reported value. Temperature, pressure, allotrope and measurement uncertainty are not specified in the table; gas densities are especially condition-dependent.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Oxidation states
- +4, +3Selected PubChem oxidation states; formal electron bookkeeping, not a list of stable free-ion charges or every possible compound.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Discovery
- 1803PubChem discovery attribution. Ancient knowledge and competing priority claims cannot always be represented by a single year.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Atomic radius
- 235 pmPubChem tabulated radius. Radius definitions depend on bonding and convention; measurement definition and uncertainty are not supplied in this table.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
- Electron affinity
- 0.5 eVPubChem reported gas-phase electron affinity. Sign conventions and electronic states matter; uncertainty is not supplied in this table.PubChem periodic table ↗ · Retrieved 2026-10-15
Isotopes, abundance and decay
Isotopes share a proton count but have different neutron counts. This selection includes naturally tabulated compositions and a reference isotope for other elements. It is not a list of every known isotope.
Explore 4 isotopes of Ce
| Isotope | Relative atomic mass | Natural fraction | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ce-136 | 135.90712921(41) | 0.00185(2) | No decay observed | ;2β+ ? |
| Ce-138 | 137.905991(11) | 0.00251(2) | No decay observed | ;2β+ ? |
| Ce-140 | 139.9054431(23) | 0.88450(51) | No decay observed | No decay tabulated |
| Ce-142 | 141.9092504(29) | 0.11114(51) | No decay observed | ;A ?;2β− ? |
Fractions use NIST’s terrestrial isotopic compositions, which can vary by sample. Parentheses denote uncertainty in the last digits. Half-lives and decay branches use NUBASE2020; # marks estimates, >/< mark limits. “No decay observed” follows that evaluation and does not prove permanent stability. Decay branch intensities are percentages; SF means spontaneous fission, EC electron capture, IT an isomeric transition.
Follow the science
Use these original references to explore the data and context. Atomic weights can vary with isotope composition; values for elements without stable isotopes may describe a representative isotope rather than a standard atomic weight.