Therefore, donation of 1 electron gives an electron configuration equal to xenon, and the most stable oxidation state is +1. It has one of the lowest densities among the elements that are solid at room temperature.Ĭesium has 1 valence electron that fills the 6s orbital. It has a boiling point of 3074☌, which is terbium. It melts at 1026☌, which is similar to gold. Physical PropertiesĬesium is solid at room temperature and has a density similar to titanium. There is no biological role for cesium and it is mildly toxic. For example, it has an electrical conductivity 10-times less than copper, and a thermal conductivity about 10-times less than gold. Cesium is an intermediate conductor of electricity and heat, in both cases similar to lead. It has one stable oxidation state of +1, and is usually found in mineral deposits of other group 1 elements in small amounts. It is one of the most reactive elements within group 1 and across the entire periodic table.

Cesium hydroxide is the other product of the reaction, and it is a very strong base. The explosion is produced as a result of the production of hydrogen gas. Cesium reacts explosively with water vapor in the air at temperatures above -116☌. A few degrees warmer and it melts at 28.5☌. It is solid and very soft at room temperature. Therefore, it was named after the Latin word, caesius, for sky-blue.Ĭesium is a silvery golden metal. On burning the salts present in mineral water, cesium was identified by the production of light blue light. Cesium was discovered by this process, which is called flame emission spectroscopy. This process can also produce light, and the color of the light is unique for each element. When compounds are heated to high temperatures, they can decompose into their individual atoms and release elements in their ionic and gaseous forms. Therefore, to store alkali metals, they must be protected from water in a vacuum or submerged in mineral oil.

All group 1 elements react with water easily, producing hydrogen gas and strong hydroxides. A periodic trend in this group is that reactivity and atomic radius increase down the group. Hydrogen is also in group 1 because it has one valence electron but it is not considered an alkali metal. Other alkali metals include lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium. It is mildly toxic, often because it is similar in structure to essential biological elements, such as potassium.Ĭesium, an alkali metal, is found in group 1 and period 6. Cesium is used to separate solids from liquid solutions, and in atomic clocks, international standards of measurement, and electronics. It only has one stable isotope and one radioactive isotope that exist in nature.

Like all alkali metals, it is very reactive, and so does not exist in nature in its pure form. It is rare on Earth and is usually found in minerals that contain other alkali metals. Cesium is a soft, silvery-golden alkali metal that is liquid just above room temperature.

Caesium atomic mass