Cerium(IV) oxide facts for kids
Cerium(IV) oxide is a special chemical compound. It is made from a rare earth metal called cerium and oxygen. Its chemical formula is CeO2. This means it has one cerium atom and two oxygen atoms. It usually looks white or light yellow. This compound is very useful in many industries. For example, it helps to clean cerium metal from its natural rocks, called ores. It can also change into another cerium compound when heated with carbon monoxide.
How We Make It
Cerium(IV) oxide can be made in a few ways. One way is to add oxygen to cerium(III) oxide. This process is called oxidation. Another way is to heat up a different compound called cerium(IV) hydroxide. When it gets hot enough, it turns into cerium(IV) oxide.
What It Is Used For
Cerium(IV) oxide has many important uses.
- Helping Reactions: It can act as an oxidizing agent. This means it helps other chemicals combine with oxygen. For example, it can help in the oxidation of natural gas.
- Making Things Glow: This compound glows brightly when it gets very hot. This special ability makes it useful in gas mantles. Gas mantles are like small nets that glow when heated by a flame. They are often found in camping lanterns. Cerium(IV) oxide helps these mantles glow, replacing older, less safe materials like thorium(IV) oxide.
Related pages
Images for kids
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A glowing Coleman white gas lantern mantle. The glowing part is mainly ThO2 with some CeO2, heated by the Ce-catalyzed oxidation of the natural gas with air.
See also
In Spanish: Óxido de cerio(IV) para niños
