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Cerium vs Thorium


Thorium vs Cerium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Ce   
Th   

Group Number
Not Available   
0   
18

Period Number
6   
7   

Block
f block   
f block   

Element Family
Lanthanide   
Actinide   

CAS Number
7440451   
99+
7440326   
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
P63/mmc   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
194.00   
5

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • 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.
  
  • Thorium metal is used as an alternate option over Uranium for nuclear fuel.
  • Thorium metals appearance (silvery white, soft) is somewhat similar to Lead metal.
  

Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals   
Found in Minerals, Mining   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Martin Heinrich Klaproth, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, Wilhelm Hisinger   
Jöns Jakob Berzelius   

Discovery
In 1803   
In 1829   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
1 * 10-6 %   
16
3 * 10-4 %   
9

Abundance In Sun
~0.0000004 %   
23
~0.0004 %   
9

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %   
27
0.05 %   
11

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.01 %   
18
0.66 %   
7

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
33
0.00 %   
15

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • 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.
  
  • Thorium metal is used as an allying agent for Magnesium, It imparts greater strength and resistance to temperature.
  • compound of this metal Thorium oxide is used as an industrial catalyst.
  

Industrial Uses
Chemical Industry   
Aerospace Industry, Automobile Industry, Chemical Industry, Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   

Medical Uses
Medical Research   
Dentistry, Surgical Instruments Manufacturing   

Other Uses
Alloys   
Alloys, Jewellery, Sculptures, Statues   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Moderately Toxic   
Non Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
30
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
33

In Bone
2.70 p.p.m.   
14
0.02 p.p.m.   
29

Physical Properties

Melting Point
795.00 °C   
99+
1,750.00 °C   
17

Boiling Point
3,257.00 °C   
23
4,790.00 °C   
8

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silvery White   
Silver   

Luster
Lustrous   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
2.50   
14
3.00   
12

Brinell Hardness
186.00 MPa   
99+
390.00 MPa   
29

Vickers Hardness
210.00 MPa   
32
295.00 MPa   
29

Speed of Sound
2,100.00 m/s   
99+
2,490.00 m/s   
36

Optical Properties
  
  

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
Ce   
Th   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
30   
9
28   
11

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.12   
99+
1.30   
32

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.08   
31
1.11   
29

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.88   
11
2.70   
22

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
534.40 kJ/mol   
99+
587.00 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
1,050.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,110.00 kJ/mol   
99+

3rd Energy Level
1,949.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,978.00 kJ/mol   
99+

4th Energy Level
3,547.00 kJ/mol   
99+
2,780.00 kJ/mol   
99+

5th Energy Level
6,325.00 kJ/mol   
22
Not Available   

6th Energy Level
7,490.00 kJ/mol   
21
Not Available   

Electrochemical Equivalent
1.74 g/amp-hr   
99+
2.16 g/amp-hr   
24

Electron Work Function
2.84 eV   
39
3.41 eV   
32

Other Chemical Properties
Chemical Stability, Anti Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
58   
99+
90   
28

Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f1 5d1 6s2   
[Rn] 6d2 7s2   

Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)   
Face Centered Cubic (FCC)   

Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Cerium.jpg#100   
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Thorium.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
58   
99+
90   
28

Number of Neutrons
82   
99+
142   
15

Number of Electrons
58   
99+
90   
28

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
181.80 pm   
12
179.80 pm   
15

Covalent Radius
204.00 pm   
8
206.00 pm   
7

Van der Waals Radius
235.00 pm   
17
237.00 pm   
15

Atomic Weight
140.12 amu   
99+
232.04 amu   
23

Atomic Volume
20.67 cm3/mol   
17
19.90 cm3/mol   
20

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Lanthanum
  
Actinium
  

Next Element

Valence Electron Potential
41.78 (-eV)   
99+
59.30 (-eV)   
23

Lattice Constant
362.00 pm   
34
508.42 pm   
14

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3   
π/2, π/2, π/2   

Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available   
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
6.77 g/cm3   
99+
11.72 g/cm3   
32

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
6.55 g/cm3   
38
Not Available   

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 1000 K
0.00 (Pa)   
34
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
1.04 (Pa)   
13
0.00 (Pa)   
22

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
13.50 GPa   
99+
31.00 GPa   
21

Bulk Modulus
21.50 GPa   
99+
54.00 GPa   
22

Young's Modulus
33.60 GPa   
99+
79.00 GPa   
24

Poisson Ratio
0.24   
27
0.27   
20

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile, Malleable   
Ductile   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
6.77   
99+
11.70   
23

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Superconductor   

Resistivity
828.00 nΩ·m   
3
157.00 nΩ·m   
22

Electrical Conductivity
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+
0.07 106/cm Ω   
31

Electron Affinity
50.00 kJ/mol   
21
Not Available   

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.19 J/(kg K)   
32
0.12 J/(kg K)   
40

Molar Heat Capacity
26.94 J/mol·K   
23
26.23 J/mol·K   
30

Thermal Conductivity
11.30 W/m·K   
99+
54.00 W/m·K   
28

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Expansion
6.30 µm/(m·K)   
99+
11.00 µm/(m·K)   
36

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
414.00 kJ/mol   
16
429.00 kJ/mol   
15

Enthalpy of Fusion
5.46 kJ/mol   
99+
15.48 kJ/mol   
19

Enthalpy of Atomization
381.00 kJ/mol   
23
468.60 kJ/mol   
15

Standard Molar Entropy
72.00 J/mol.K   
12
27.30 J/mol.K   
99+

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