General Information

• Symbol: Po

• Atomic Mass: (209)

• Number: 84

• Melting Point: 254 C

• Boiling Point: 962 C

• Density: 9.3 g/cm³ (at 300K)

• Where is it found?: traces are found in Uranium ores (100 micrograms Polonium /ton of Uranium) in the Earth's crust

• Obtained: it can be obtained from purifying pitchblend, a uranium ore found in the earth's crust, or by bombarding bismuth with neutrons

• Explanation of Structure: The electron configuration is:
  1s²2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s²4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴5d¹⁰ 6p⁴
  Polonium's crystal structure is monoclinic.
  Because it's atomic number is 84, a Polonium atom has 84 protons and 84 neutrons. It also has 125 neutrons and 6 valence electrons (the electrons on the outermost shell). It has an unstable nucleus, which means that it is radioactive. Polonium 210 emits alpha radiation and forms lead.
  
  

• Chemical Properties/Reaction Tendancies: Polonium is very radioactive alpha emitter. Half of a gram in an enclosed space can produce a temperature of 500 C (140W/g). The maxiumum amount a human can ingest is only 6.8 x 10^-12 g. Polonium is very soluble in dilute acids, but only slightly soluble in alkalis.




• Isotopes:

  • Mass - Half Life

  • 190 - 9.6 msec

  • 191 - 15.5 msec

  • 192 - 0.034 sec

  • 193 - 360 msec

  • 194 - 0.392 sec

  • 195 - 4.64 sec

  • 196 - 5.8 sec

  • 197 - 53.6 sec

  • 198 - 1.76 min

  • 199 - 5.48 min

  • 200 - 11.5 min

  • 201 - 15.3 min

  • 202 - 44.7 min

  • 203 - 36.7 min

  • 204 - 3.53 hr

  • 205 - 1.66 hr

  • 206 - 8.8 days

  • 207 - 5.80 hr

  • 208 - 2.898 yr

  • 209 - 102 yr

  • 210 - 138.376 days (practically 100% natural abundance, all others insignificant amounts, though 209 and 208 can be produced in decent amounts)

  • 211 - 0.516 sec

  • 212 - 0.299 usec

  • 212a - 45.1 sec