Atomic Properties of Po
- Atomic Number of Po
- 84
- Atomic Mass of Po
- 209.0000 u
- Electron Configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4
- Electronegativity
- 2.00
- Block
- p-block
- Group
- 16
- Period
- 6
Polonium (Po) is element 84 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Po: 209.0000 u. Po is in period 6, group 16. Melting point of Po: 527.00 K.Density of Po: 9.20 g/cm³.
Marie Curie's first discovery—named for her occupied homeland
No biological role. Was used to assassinate Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Tiny amounts deliver lethal radiation doses. Polonium in tobacco smoke contributes to lung cancer.
Discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie in France, 1898
Name origin: Named for Poland, native country of Marie Curie.
Rare radioactive metallic element, belongs to group 16 of the periodic table. Over 30 known isotopes exist, the most of all elements. Po-209 has a half-life of 103 years. Possible uses in heating spacecraft. Discovered by Marie Curie in 1898 in a sample of pitchblende.
Polonium has 0 naturally occurring isotopes, plus 3 notable radioactive isotopes.
| Isotope | Atomic Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-Life | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20984Po (Po-209)Polonium-209 isotope | 208.9824308 | — | 125.2 years | α, EC |
| 21084Po (Po-210)Polonium-210 isotope | 209.9828741 | — | 138.4 days | α |
| 21384Po (Po-213)Polonium-213 isotope | 212.992857 | 0% | 3.7 microseconds | α |
Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)
Isotopes of Polonium have important real-world applications in science and industry.
210Po (with a half-life of 138 days) is used as static eliminator to remove static electricity in machinery. This is useful in machinery that produces electricity easily, for example, via rolling paper, manufacturing sheet plastics, and spinning synthetic fibers, which all readily produce static [75], [563]. 210Po can also make use of its static eliminating properties when used in brushes that function to clean camera lenses and photographic films (Fig. IUPAC.84.1) [75]. 210Po has been used to manufacture atomic weapons. When combined with beryllium, polonium can act as a neutron-producing initiator. However, because of its short half-life, 210Po is no longer used in this manner [75].
Used in industrial equipment that eliminates static electricity caused by such processes as rolling paper, wire, and sheet metal.
Occurs in pitchblende from decay of bismuth.
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