
Polonium element (Po) is in group 16 and period 6 of a periodic table. Polonium is in the p-block and it is classified as a post-transition element on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to polonium which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Polonium element (Information Table)
- Polonium element in Periodic table
- Facts about Polonium
- Properties of Polonium
- Uses of Polonium
Polonium Element (Information Table)
The important data related to polonium element is given in the table below.
Appearance of polonium | Silvery gray appearance |
Atomic number of polonium | 84 |
Symbol of polonium | Po |
Atomic mass of polonium (most stable isotope) | 209 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in polonium | Protons: 84, Neutrons: 125, Electrons: 84 |
State of polonium (at STP) | Solid |
Group number of polonium in periodic table | 16 |
Period number of polonium in periodic table | 6 |
Block of polonium in periodic table | p-block |
Category of polonium | Post transition element (chalcogens) |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in polonium | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 6 |
Electron configuration of polonium | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4 |
Orbital diagram of polonium | ![]() |
Valence electrons in polonium | 6 |
Electronegativity of polonium (on pauling scale) | 2 |
Atomic radius of polonium (van der Waals radius) | 197 picometers |
Density of polonium | 9.16 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of polonium | 8.417 eV |
Main isotope of polonium | 210Po |
Melting point of polonium | 527 K or 254 °C or 489 °F |
Boiling point of polonium | 1235 K or 962 °C or 1764 °F |
Crystal structure of polonium | Simple cubic |
Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).
Polonium element in Periodic table
The Polonium element (Po) has the atomic number 84 and is located in group 16 and period 6. Polonium is a metal and it is classified as a post-transition element.
H | He | ||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr |
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe |
Cs | Ba | La* | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
Fr | Ra | Ac** | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | Cn | Nh | Fl | Mc | Lv | Ts | Og |
*Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | ||||
**Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr |
Facts about polonium
Here are a few interesting facts about the polonium element.
- Polonium was given its name from the country “Poland”, where Marie curie was born.
- Pierre Curie and Marie Curie discovered polonium in the year 1898.
- The concentration of polonium in the earth’s crust is around 1 part per quadrillion, which is very less.
- Polonium is mostly obtained from uranium ores.
- Polonium is 400 times more radioactive than uranium.
- Polonium is a highly radioactive element and it can emit as many alpha particles as 5 kg of radium.
Properties of polonium
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of polonium.
Physical properties of polonium
- Polonium has a silvery gray appearance.
- The density of polonium is 9.16 g/cm3 and its atomic mass is 209 amu.
- There are many isotopes of polonium, and the isotope 210Po is available in very rare amounts. Most of the isotopes of polonium are artificially prepared in the lab.
- The melting point and boiling point of polonium is 527 K and 1235 K respectively.
Chemical properties of polonium
- Polonium is a radioactive element and it is also toxic.
- Polonium is less soluble in alkalis.
- Polonium gets dissolved in dilute acids.
- Polonium solutions contain Po2+ ions and due to this the solution appears pink. When the alpha radiations are emitted, the Po2+ ions are converted into Po4+ ions and this makes the solution appear yellow in color.
Uses of polonium
Here are some uses of the polonium element.
- Polonium is used as a heat source in radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
- Polonium can also be used in sheet metal rolling processes to eliminate the static electricity.
- Polonium is alloyed with beryllium and this alloy is used as a neutron source.
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