Polonium
Polonium is a chemical element with symbol Po and atomic number 84, discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. A rare and highly radioactive element with no stable isotopes, polonium is chemically similar to bismuth and tellurium, and it occurs in uranium ores. Applications of polonium are few.
A stylized shell model. Electrons are quantum objects, not particles following these literal paths. Sizes and motion are illustrative.
54 is the [Xe] core total across five shells.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 84
- Atomic mass
- 209 u
- Phase
- Solid
- Density
- 9.196 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 527 K
- Boiling point
- 1,235 K
- First ionization energy
- 812.1 kJ/mol
- Electronegativity
- 2
- Electron affinity
- 136 kJ/mol
- Molar heat capacity
- 26.4 J/(mol·K)
- Period
- 6
- Appearance
- silvery
Conditions and isotopes affect measured properties. Some properties of short-lived elements are predicted. Electronegativity uses the Pauling scale.
Keep exploring
Explore the stories, imagery, and reference data in more depth. Properties with no value in the reference are marked unavailable.