Cesium (Noun)
Meaning
A soft silver-white ductile metallic element (liquid at normal temperatures); the most electropositive and alkaline metal.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Cesium is a highly reactive metal that ignites spontaneously in air at room temperature.
- The atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology uses cesium to regulate its timekeeping.
- Due to its high reactivity, cesium is not found free in nature, but is often extracted from mineral ores.
- Cesium is used in photoelectric cells, where its high reactivity with light is utilized to generate electricity.
- In atomic physics, the precise vibrations of cesium atoms are used as a reference point for measuring time.