January 13, 2010 By: Robert Carpenter

Poland Metal Metalloid Chalcogen

84 Po Polonium (209) Atomic Number Number of Protons and Electrons Name of the Element Symbol Atomic Mass Number of Neutrons 125

Group 16 Period 6

COLOR Varies Unknown Blue Glow Silvery - Gray Melting Point – 254 Degrees Celsius Boiling Point Degrees Celsius Crystalline Structure: Monoclinic Solid at Room Temperature Mohs

VERY RADIOACTIVE Very Volatile About ½ of a sample evaporate within 3 days in the open Electron gravity 813.0kJ.mol-1 Energy of 1 st Ionization 2.0

[Xe] 4f 14 5d 10 6s 2 6p 4

With 6M HCl ; mild= PoCl 2 Po(s) + 2O 2 (g) → PoO 2 (s) Polonium burns in air to form the solid dioxide polonium(IV) oxide, PoO 2. Polonium reacts under controlled conditions with the halogens chlorine, Cl 2, bromine, Br 2, and iodine, I 2, to form the polonium (IV) chlrode, polonium(IV) bromide, and polonium(IV) iodide. Po(s) + 2Cl 2 (g) → PoCl 4 (s) [yellow] Po(s) + 2Br 2 (g) → PoBr 4 (s) [red] Po(s) + 2I 2 (g) → PoI 4 (s) [black] Reactions with air Polonium burns in air to form polonium(IV) dioxide. Po (s) + 2O 2(g) PO 2(s)

Thermoelectric Power Used in space satellites To eliminate static electricity in machinery In brushes for removing dust from photographic films, although the polonium must be carefully sealed to protect the user from contamination Polonium and Beryllium = Neutron sources

Mme. Marie Sklodowska Curie and (husband) Pierre Curie Polish Chemist July 1898 While seeking Pitchblende Radium

Say What? peh-LOW-ni-em Estimated Oceanic Abundance : 1.5 x 10-14

Polonium-209 is available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the cost of about $3200 per microcurie. 30 Isotopes More than any other element. Very Dangerous Estimated Crustal Abundance : 2 x milligrams per kilogram