Element Family
Actinide
Post-Transition
Space Group Name
P63/mmc
Pm-3m
Interesting Facts
- Californium metal is very harmful and highly radioactive.
- Californium metal is the heaviest metal.
- 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
Made by Bombarding Curium with Helium Ions
Mining, Ores of metals
Who Discovered
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Pierre Curie and Marie Curie
Discovery
In 1950
In 1898
Abundance In Meteorites
-
Abundance In Earth's Crust
Uses & Benefits
- Californium metal has a very strong neutron emitter. It is used as a metal detector.
-
It also used as an identifier to check Water and oil layers in oil wells.
- 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
Chemical Industry
Aerospace Industry, Ammunition Industry
Other Uses
Alloys, Nuclear Research
Alloys
Toxicity
Toxic
Highly Toxic
Present in Human Body
No
No
Physical State
Solid
Solid
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
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility
Electron Configuration
[Rn] 5f10 7s2
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4
Crystal Structure
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
Monoclinic (MON)
Crystal Lattice
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Californium.jpg#100
MON-Crystal-Structure-of-Polonium.jpg#100
Valence Electron Potential
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
π/2, π/2, π/2
Density At Room Temperature
Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
Other Mechanical Properties
Malleable, Sectile
-
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
Nonmagnetic
Electrical Property
-
Conductor
Enthalpy of Atomization
-