47 Facts About Cesium As Alkali Metal Revealed For Kids!

The alkali metals are six elements that collectively make-up group one of the periodic table. 

In reality, hydrogen is the first element and the only element in group one that is not one of the alkali metals, and it is a chemical element. Alkali metals are all found in the first group in the periodic tabulation, where they belong. 

One such alkaline metal is cesium, one of the silvery gold elements discovered by Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff. It is derived from the Latin word 'caesius' which means 'sky blue', because of its emission spectrum's blue lines, and has the chemical symbol of 'Cs'.

Cesium is a metal with the element symbol Cs and the atomic number 55, and it is also known as cesium. Here is a collection of facts on the cesium element. 

Cesium Classification In Periodic Table

Let's take a look at some interesting facts about Cesiums classification in the periodic table!

It is represented by the symbol Cs and has the atomic number 55.

Cesium is a chemical element. Cesium, categorized as an alkaline metal, is solid when exposed to ambient temperature.

Cesium nitrate CsNO3 is a compound formed from cesium and nitrogen.

Most cesium is rare, silver-white, shining metals with beautiful blue spectral lines; the element's name originated from the Latin word 'caesius', which means 'sky blue'.

At room temperature, it has the substance of wax, making it the softest of all the metals. The metal is used as a 'getter' in vacuum tubes.

Cesium Physical Properties

Here are some amazing facts about the physical properties of cesium for curious minds.

The number of atoms cesium consists of is 55 atoms. The atomic weight of cesium is 132.90 u.

The Cesium melting point is 83.19 °F (28.44 °C) and the boiling point is 1,240 °F (671 °C).

The density of cesium is 0.06 oz per cu in (1.93 g per cu cm) and in-room temperature, the phase is solid.

Cesium is a metal kind of element. This chemical element is in Period six and belongs to Group one of the periodic table.

Alkali metal is the name of the band and [Xe] 6s1 is its electron configuration.

Cesium Uses

What is cesium used for? Let's find out.

The metal has lately found use in ion propulsion systems, which is a breakthrough. Cesium is used in atomic clocks, which have an accuracy of one second in 1.4 million years.

The chloride and nitrate are the two most important chemicals in it.

In addition to brain tumors, cesium is being investigated to treat a variety of other cancers.

Brachytherapy seeds contain cesium-131, a radioactive isotope of the element cesium, and iodine-125, another radioactive isotope of the element cesium.

Commercially, most cesium is generated as a byproduct of lithium metal manufacturing.

The amount of the element was raised in certain animal tests to elevate the pH of tumor cells and destroy them. In several clinical studies, cesium-137 implants were utilized to provide breast cancer radiation treatment.

Also utilized in photoelectric cells and as a catalyst in the hydrogenation of organic molecules, cesium is a chemical element. The metal is employed as a 'getter' when it comes to vacuum tubes.

Cesium Number Of Electrons And Atomic Number

Cesium atoms have a total of 55 electrons.

Their electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 1] with the Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 2S1/2. 

Did You Know...

History of cesium compounds: 

Cesium was the very first element found using a spectroscope.

Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff found it in 1860 at Durkheim, Germany, when they examined the spectrum of mineral water.

Bunsen and Kirchhoff also proceeded to develop the element rubidium. Today, pure cesium is generally obtained by separating it from the mineral pollucite.

Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff dubbed the atom cesium, from the Latin word 'caesius' signifying sky blue, just after blue streaks they saw in the spectrum.

The Latin spelling is still retained in standard English, where cesium is written 'cesium.'

Appearance and characteristics:

Cesium must be stored beneath an inert liquid, in mineral oil, or gas, or in a vacuum to keep it safe from the elements, particularly air and water.

Cesium compounds are regarded to be just slightly hazardous by certain standards. The liver, gut, and kidneys may all be harmed by accidental consumption.

In addition, contamination of the eyes or spills on the skin might result in severe discomfort and inflammation.

Cesium is a silvery-gold ductile alkali metal that is soft.

At room temperature, it is liquid, and it melts at 83.19 °F (28.44 °C). It is among the few metals that are liquid at temperatures close to those of room temperature.

Gallium, francium, and mercury are the other elements. The only metal with a lower melting point than cesium is mercury.

Isotopes and compounds:

Cesium exists in at least 39 different isotopes, with atomic masses ranging from 112 to 151. It has only one stable isotope, 133Cs.

As a result, the naturally occurring cesium isotope 133Cs, which is not radioactive, is the most common. The element 133Cs (stable isotope) is used in atomic clocks, and the frequency of its vibration is utilized to determine the length of a second.

A different radioactive isotope, 137Cs, is not produced naturally but rather is produced after nuclear fission. It is very radioactive and is utilized in the manufacturing industry as a gamma-ray source.

Cesium may combine with various other chemical elements to generate compounds. Cesium formate is utilized in oil drilling because of its high density, which makes it one of the excellent drilling fluids.

Cesium-133 is the only isotope of cesium that may be found in the natural environment. Despite that, a large number of radioactive isotopes have been generated.

Allen's electronegativity scale reveals cesium as one of the least electronegative elements.

Cesium is the least prevalent of the five alkali metals that exist naturally in the Earth's crust.

Cesium is found in abundance in the Earth's crust at a rate of around three parts per million, ranking it 45th in terms of abundance among all elements and 36th in terms of abundance among all metals.

Cesium is found in our solar system in concentrations of around eight parts per billion by weight on average.

Application of cesium metal:

Cesium has an atomic number 55 and is widely used in petroleum cracking, rising well drilling (for gas and oil production and exploration), high-temperature solders, x-ray phosphors, energy conversion devices (like polymer solar cells and fuel cells), infrared detectors, optics, scintillation counters, spectrophotometer, and radioscopes, isopycnic centrifugation, insect repellent (in agricultural applications), and pyrotechnics as a color.

Cesium-137 is commonly employed in industrial gauges, the petroleum industry, nuclear power plants, mining and geophysical instruments, and sterilization of food, sewage, and medical equipment.

Numerous radioactive isotopes have been synthesized artificially. Some radioisotopes are created by slow neutron capture inside ancient stars or via the R-process in supernovae.

Cesium is not a required nutrient for plants or animals, but it is not highly harmful. Radioactive cesium is a health danger due to its radioactivity rather than its chemistry.

Cesium is the most volatile of all metals and is pyrophoric, indicating it can spontaneously fire when exposed to water, even in the levels of moisture found in the air.

Cesium is an alkali metal that may be found in various minerals such as pollucite (a hydrated silicate of cesium and aluminum) and lepidolite, among other places.

Located in the Canadian province of Manitoba lies Bernic Lake, which is home to one of the world's richest cesium deposits. It is believed that the deposits contain 317,510 ton (350,000 met ton) of pollucite, with an average cesium content of 20%.

This compound may be obtained via electrolysis of the fused cyanide and a variety of other ways. The thermal breakdown of cesium azide may produce very pure, gas-free cesium.