| Name | cesium |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Cs |
| Atomic Weight | 132.90545 |
| Atomic Number | 55 |
| CAS ID | 7440-46-2 |
| Group Number | 1 |
| Group Name | Alkali Metal |
| Period Number | 6 |
| Origin of Name | Latin, caesius = "sky blue." |
| Year Discovered | 1860 |
| Discovery Credits | Discovered by R. Bunsen and G. R. Kirchoff at Heidelberg, Germany. |
| Class | Metallic |
| Color | Silvery gold |
| Standard State | Solid at 77 F & 298 K (Melts slightly above this temperature) |
| Description | Soft, shiny, gold colored metal; reacts rapidly with oxygen
and explosively with water. Used as catalyst promoter, in special glasses,
and in radiation monitoring equipment. The first element to be discovered
spectroscopically and forms the basis for "atomic clocks"
because of the ease in which the element is ionized. Diagnostic tests: |