Po
Polonium
Atomic number: 84Mass: 209 uCategory: Post-Transition Metal
About Polonium
Polonium is a radioactive element that was discovered by Marie Curie, who named it after her homeland Poland. It is extremely rare in nature. Polonium-210 is one of the most toxic substances known — it was used to poison Alexander Litvinenko.
Properties
Period
6
Group
16
Block
P
Category
Post-Transition Metal
Electronegativity
2.00 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
812.1 kJ/mol
Melting Point
527 K (254°C)
Boiling Point
1235 K (962°C)
Density
9.196 g/cm³
Oxidation States
+2, +4
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:18e⁻
Shell 4:32e⁻
Shell 5:18e⁻
Shell 6:6e⁻
Real-World Uses
Anti-static devices
Nuclear warhead initiators
Radioisotope heaters (spacecraft)
Research
Neutron sources
Fun Fact
Marie Curie named polonium after Poland — she was the first to discover it and it was the first element named after a country!