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Polonium is a highly unstable radioactive element found in trace amounts in nature. It is toxic and difficult to identify due to its instability. It has some industrial uses, but is mostly used in theoretical physics. It was discovered by Marie Curie and is named after her native Poland. It is extremely toxic and exposure to a small amount can be deadly. It is used in laboratories as a neutron source and in some devices to reduce static electricity. Scientists who work with polonium must be careful to minimize their exposure.
Polonium is an extremely unstable radioactive chemical element that is part of the decay process of radium, another radioactive element. Because polonium is a stage in the decay process of radium, it is sometimes referred to as radium F. This element appears in trace amounts in nature, typically in uranium ores, and most of its uses are in theoretical physics. It has some industrial uses, but due to its radioactivity, consumers are unlikely to encounter it.
The instability of this element makes it difficult for scientists to identify its chemical properties. It takes on a solid form in pure form and appears to have a crystalline physical structure. It is typically classified as a nonmetal and, as one might imagine, is highly toxic due to its radioactivity. Given polonium’s rarity, you’re unlikely to come across it; if you see enough to be able to examine its physical properties, you will have died of radiation exposure. On the periodic table of elements, you can find polonium under Po and it has an atomic number of 84.
The discovery of polonium is credited to Marie Curie, who named it for her native Poland in 1898. Curiously, polonium’s name is actually rooted in political outcry; Poland did not exist as an independent nation at the time, and Curie wanted to draw attention to Poland’s plight. Eventually, Poland became independent in 1918, only to be annexed by Russia during the communist era. Curie received not one but two Nobel Prizes for her work on polonium and radium, one in 1903 and the other in 1911. Her contributions to science are immortalized in the element curium and Curie, a unit of radiation.
In laboratories, polonium is used as a neutron source for experiments. It can be made by bombarding a bismuth isotope with alpha particles; the polonium produced through this practice is also used in nuclear reactors. The element also appears in some devices designed to reduce or eliminate static electricity, and is also sometimes used in the manufacture of candles. Polonium has 34 isotopes, all of which are radioactive.
This element is extremely toxic; exposure to a surprisingly small amount can be deadly. As a result, people who work with polonium are very careful to minimize their exposure. Polonium naturally occurring in the Earth is generally not considered hazardous, as the element is so rare and contributes a very small amount of background radiation. However, because the element is concentrated in several vital organs, it is important to monitor lifetime exposure for scientists who may be at risk of poisoning.
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