Science, Tech, Math › Science Polonium Facts - Element 84 or Po Chemical and Physical Properties of Polonium Share Flipboard Email Print Science Picture Co/Getty Images Science Chemistry Periodic Table Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Facebook Twitter Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on March 11, 2017 Polonium (Po or Element 84) is one of the radioactive elements discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie. This rare element has no stable isotopes. It's found in uranium ores and cigarette smoke and also occurs as a decay product of heavier elements. Although there aren't many applications for the element, it is used to generate heat from radioactive decay for space probes. The element is used as a neutron and alpha source and in anti-static devices. Polonium has also been used as a poison to commit assassinations. Although the position of element 84 on the periodic table would lead to categorization as a metalloid, its properties are those of a true metal. Polonium Basic Facts Symbol: Po Atomic Number: 84 Discovery: Curie 1898 Atomic weight: [208.9824] Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4 Classification: semi-metal Ground level: 3P2 Polonium Physical Data Ionization potential: 8.414 ev Physical form: Silvery metal Melting point: 254°C Boiling point: 962°C Density: 9.20 g/cm3 Valence: 2, 4 References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Lange's Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC (2006) Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Polonium Facts - Element 84 or Po." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/polonium-facts-element-84-or-po-606577. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, February 16). Polonium Facts - Element 84 or Po. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/polonium-facts-element-84-or-po-606577 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Polonium Facts - Element 84 or Po." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/polonium-facts-element-84-or-po-606577 (accessed June 2, 2023). copy citation Featured Video