Uses

• Caesium is used in the atomic clock.  The caesium metal keeps the frequency of the pendulum in the atomic clock constant, so it makes the atomic clock accurate to 5 seconds in 300 years⁽⁵⁾.

• Caesium metal can be used in ion propulsion system.  1 kilogram of caesium can propel a vehicle 140 times further than burning any other solids or liquids as fuel in space⁽⁶⁾.

• Caesium can be used as a catalyst to help add hydrogen with the molescules of organic compounds.  This process is called hydrogenation⁽⁶⁾.

• Caesium is used in photoelectric cells and vaccum tubes⁽⁶⁾.  The photoelectric cells are used to change sunlight to electrical energy.  The sun shines on the caesium and cause the electrons in the caesium to be excited.  The excited electrons would move producing electrical energy⁽⁴⁾.

• Caesium has a high attraction for oxygen, so it is used in electron tubes as an oxygen getter⁽⁶⁾.  The getter means caesium gets the oxygen and other gases out of the electron tubes⁽⁴⁾.

• Caesium is also used in IR Lamps⁽⁶⁾.

• ¹³³Caesium does not have any biological roles⁽⁶⁾.   Though the radioisotope ¹³⁷caesium can be injected into a person and the radiation given off by the ¹³⁷caesium will kill off cancer cells⁽⁴⁾.
  

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Last modified: February 06, 2000