Quick answerPolonium (Po) is a post-transition metal with atomic number 84 and a mass number of 209 (the most stable isotope), in group 16, period 6. It was discovered by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie in 1898. It is used for spacecraft heaters and static eliminators. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4.
Polonium is a fiercely radioactive metal that heats spacecraft instruments and once sparked the discovery of radioactivity itself.
Key facts
| Symbol | Po |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 84 |
| Atomic mass | [209] — mass number of the most stable isotope |
| Category | post-transition metal |
| Group | 16 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | p-block |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4 |
| Discovered | Marie Curie and Pierre Curie, 1898 |
| Uses | spacecraft heaters, static eliminators, neutron sources, oil well logging, research |
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Gallium (Ga) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 31
- Indium (In) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 49
- Tin (Sn) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 50
- Thallium (Tl) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 81
- Lead (Pb) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 82
- Bismuth (Bi) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 83
- Nihonium (Nh) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 113
- Flerovium (Fl) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 114
- Moscovium (Mc) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 115
- Livermorium (Lv) — another post-transition metal, atomic number 116
- Marie Curie — discovered Polonium
- Pierre Curie — discovered Polonium
- All post-transition metal elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.