Lanthanum vs Cerium

Side-by-side comparison of Lanthanum (La, element 57) and Cerium (Ce, element 58) by atomic structure and physical properties.

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PropertyLa Lanthanum Ce Cerium
Atomic number5758
SymbolLaCe
NameLanthanumCerium
Categorylanthanidelanthanide
Standard Atomic Weight138.90547 u140.116 u
Period66
GroupN/AN/A
Blockff
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Electron configuration[Xe]5d16s2[Xe]4f15d16s2
Oxidation states[0, 1, 2, 3][1, 2, 3, 4]
Electronegativity (Pauling)1.11.12
Electron affinity0.557546 eV0.60016 eV
Density6150 kg/m³6770 kg/m³
Melting point917.85 °C797.85 °C
Boiling point3463.85 °C3423.85 °C
Discovery year18381803

Key Differences

PropertyLa LanthanumCe Cerium
Standard Atomic Weight138.90547 u ↓ lower140.116 u ↑ higher
Density6150 kg/m³ ↓ lower6770 kg/m³ ↑ higher
Melting point917.85 °C ↑ higher797.85 °C ↓ lower
Boiling point3463.85 °C ↑ higher3423.85 °C ↓ lower
Electronegativity (Pauling)1.1 ↓ lower1.12 ↑ higher
Electron affinity0.557546 eV ↓ lower0.60016 eV ↑ higher
Electron configuration[Xe]5d16s2 [Xe]4f15d16s2
Discovery year1838 1803