Cerium (Ce) Fun Facts
"The Spark, the most common of the rare earths, a hero who creates the spark in every lighter."
The true essence of Cerium (Ce) on the molecular frontier.
Cerium is a silvery-white, ductile, and soft metal.
Cerium is found in the flint in a cigarette lighter.
Cerium is a component of self-cleaning ovens.
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Did You Know?
It is the most abundant of all the rare earth elements, making up about 0.0066% of the Earth's crust, which is about as abundant as copper.
It is a primary component of mischmetal, an alloy that produces a hot spark when struck, making it ideal for the flint in cigarette lighters.
Cerium(IV) oxide is a highly effective polishing agent for glass and is used to polish telescope mirrors, camera lenses, and even the glass on your smartphone.
It is named after the dwarf planet Ceres, which was discovered just two years before the element.
The walls of some self-cleaning ovens are coated with a cerium compound that helps oxidize cooking residues.