the.com/cerium
the most abundant rare earth metal, which makes the name a glorious lie
means A soft, silvery rare-earth metal (element 58) used in catalytic converters, lighter flints, and glass polishing, despite being more common in Earth's crust than copper.
from Named in the early 19th century after Ceres, the dwarf planet (then newly discovered and counted as a planet), which itself honors the Roman goddess of grain and harvest. The element was isolated soon after Ceres was spotted, and chemists, caught up in the excitement, borrowed the celestial name — so this earthbound metal carries the name of a goddess of fields and a wandering world in the sky.
- not rare
- More common in crust than copper or lead
- self-igniting
- Sparks when scratched, hence flint lighters
- named after
- The dwarf planet Ceres, found two years prior
- polishing king
- Grinds optical glass and TV screens smooth
- color shift
- Oxidizes from silver to dull gray in air
cerium oxide polishing powder — used to polish glass and optical lenses since the 1970s, superior to other abrasives for precision work
cerium in catalytic converters — cerium dioxide catalyzes oxidation of carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust, deployed since 1980s