Symbol
Cf
  
Ce
  
Group Number
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Period Number
7
  
6
  
Block
f block
  
f block
  
Element Family
Actinide
  
Lanthanide
  
Space Group Name
P63/mmc
  
P63/mmc
  
Interesting Facts
- Californium metal is very harmful and highly radioactive.
- Californium metal is the heaviest metal.
  
- Cerium is a rare earth metal but still it is not rare at all.
- It’s non-toxic compound Cerium sulfide has a rich red color and it is used as a pigment.
- Cerium metal is also used in Flat screen TVs, light bulb, floodlights, etc.
  
Sources
Made by Bombarding Curium with Helium Ions
  
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals
  
History
  
  
Who Discovered
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  
Martin Heinrich Klaproth, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, Wilhelm Hisinger
  
Discovery
In 1950
  
In 1803
  
Abundance
  
  
Abundance In Universe
Not Available
  
Abundance In Sun
~-9999 %
  
~0.0000004 %
  
23
Abundance In Meteorites
Not Available
  
Abundance In Earth's Crust
Not Available
  
Abundance In Oceans
Not Available
  
Uses & Benefits
- Californium metal has a very strong neutron emitter. It is used as a metal detector.
-
It also used as an identifier to check Water and oil layers in oil wells.
  
- It is used to include flints for cigarette lighters.
- Its compound Cerium (Ill) Oxide is used as a catalyst; it is put inside the walls of the oven as it prevents from the buildup of cooking residues.
  
Industrial Uses
Chemical Industry
  
Chemical Industry
  
Medical Uses
NA
  
Medical Research
  
Other Uses
Alloys, Nuclear Research
  
Alloys
  
Biological Properties
  
  
Toxicity
Toxic
  
Moderately Toxic
  
Present in Human Body
No
  
Yes
  
In Blood
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3
  
37
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3
  
30
In Bone
0.00 p.p.m.
  
36
2.70 p.p.m.
  
14
Boiling Point
1,470.00 °C
  
99+
3,257.00 °C
  
23
Appearance
  
  
Physical State
Solid
  
Solid
  
Color
Silver
  
Silvery White
  
Luster
NA
  
Lustrous
  
Hardness
  
  
Brinell Hardness
Not Available
  
186.00 MPa
  
99+
Vickers Hardness
Not Available
  
Speed of Sound
Not Available
  
2,100.00 m/s
  
99+
Optical Properties
  
  
Allotropes
No
  
No
  
α Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
β Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
γ Allotropes
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Chemical Formula
Cf
  
Ce
  
Isotopes
  
  
Electronegativity
  
  
Pauling Electronegativity
Allred Rochow Electronegativity
Electropositivity
  
  
Pauling Electropositivity
Ionization Energies
  
  
1st Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
534.40 kJ/mol
  
99+
2nd Energy Level
1,206.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
1,050.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
3rd Energy Level
2,267.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
1,949.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
4th Energy Level
3,599.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
3,547.00 kJ/mol
  
99+
5th Energy Level
Not Available
  
6,325.00 kJ/mol
  
22
6th Energy Level
Not Available
  
7,490.00 kJ/mol
  
21
Electrochemical Equivalent
3.12 g/amp-hr
  
15
1.74 g/amp-hr
  
99+
Electron Work Function
Not Available
  
Other Chemical Properties
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility
  
Chemical Stability, Anti Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility
  
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 5f10 7s2
  
[Xe] 4f1 5d1 6s2
  
Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
  
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
  
Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Californium.jpg#100
  
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Cerium.jpg#100
  
Atom
  
  
Radius of an Atom
  
  
Covalent Radius
Not Available
  
Van der Waals Radius
Not Available
  
Atomic Weight
140.12 amu
  
99+
Atomic Volume
Not Available
  
20.67 cm3/mol
  
17
Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  
Valence Electron Potential
44.50 (-eV)
  
38
41.78 (-eV)
  
99+
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
  
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
  
Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Density
  
  
Density At Room Temperature
15.10 g/cm3
  
21
6.77 g/cm3
  
99+
Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
Not Available
  
Tensile Strength
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Viscosity
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Vapor Pressure
  
  
Vapor Pressure at 1000 K
Not Available
  
Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
Not Available
  
Elasticity properties
  
  
Shear Modulus
Not Available
  
Bulk Modulus
Not Available
  
Young's Modulus
Not Available
  
Poisson Ratio
Not Available
  
Other Mechanical Properties
Malleable, Sectile
  
Ductile, Malleable
  
Magnetic Characteristics
  
  
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
  
Paramagnetic
  
Electrical Properties
  
  
Electrical Property
Unknown
  
Conductor
  
Resistivity
Not Available
  
Electrical Conductivity
Not Available
  
0.01 10
6/cm Ω
  
99+
Electron Affinity
Not Available
  
50.00 kJ/mol
  
21
Specific Heat
Not Available
  
0.19 J/(kg K)
  
32
Molar Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
26.94 J/mol·K
  
23
Thermal Conductivity
Not Available
  
11.30 W/m·K
  
99+
Critical Temperature
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Expansion
Not Available
  
6.30 µm/(m·K)
  
99+
Enthalpy
  
  
Enthalpy of Vaporization
Not Available
  
414.00 kJ/mol
  
16
Enthalpy of Fusion
Not Available
  
5.46 kJ/mol
  
99+
Enthalpy of Atomization
Not Available
  
381.00 kJ/mol
  
23
Standard Molar Entropy
Not Available
  
72.00 J/mol.K
  
12