A soft, silvery chemical element (atomic number 58) that is part of the rare earth metals and is used in alloys, glass polishing, and catalytic converters.
Named after the dwarf planet Ceres, discovered in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi. The element cerium was discovered in 1803 by Berzelius and Hisinger, and they named it to honor the newly discovered celestial body.
Cerium is the most abundant rare earth element on Earth, yet it's crucial for pollution control—it's in the catalytic converters of cars that transform toxic exhaust into harmless gases, making it a hidden hero of modern environmental protection.
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