Element Family
Actinide
Post-Transition
Space Group Name
Fm_ 3m
Pm-3m
Interesting Facts
Actinium glows in the dark due to its radioactivity.
- Polonium was the first radioactive element to be discovered.
- Polonium element and its compounds are highly radioactive.
- Its alloy with Beryllium provides source of neutrons.
Sources
Obtained by Treating Radium with Neutrons, Ores of metals
Mining, Ores of metals
Who Discovered
Friedrich Oskar Giesel
Pierre Curie and Marie Curie
Discovery
In 1902
In 1898
Abundance In Meteorites
-
Abundance In Earth's Crust
Uses & Benefits
- Actinium metal has a great source of alpha rays but it is hardly used outside research purpose.
- Polonium metal has different Allotropes, it is used in antistatic devices and for research purpose.
- A 1 gram of Polonium can reach a temperature of 500°C, hence it is used as a heat source for space equipment.
Industrial Uses
-
Aerospace Industry, Ammunition Industry
Other Uses
Alloys, Nuclear Research, Research Purposes
Alloys
Toxicity
Toxic
Highly Toxic
Present in Human Body
No
No
Physical State
Solid
Solid
Color
Silvery White
Silver
α Allotropes
-
α-polonium
β Allotropes
-
β-polonium
Pauling Electronegativity
Sanderson Electronegativity
Allred Rochow Electronegativity
Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
Pauling Electropositivity
Electrochemical Equivalent
Other Chemical Properties
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 6d1 7s2
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4
Crystal Structure
Face Centered Cubic (FCC)
Monoclinic (MON)
Crystal Lattice
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Actinium.jpg#100
MON-Crystal-Structure-of-Polonium.jpg#100
Valence Electron Potential
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2
π/2, π/2, π/2
Density At Room Temperature
Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
Other Mechanical Properties
-
-
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
Nonmagnetic
Electrical Property
-
Conductor