Home
Compare Metals


Californium vs Polonium


Polonium vs Californium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Cf  
Po  

Group Number
3  
15
16  
2

Period Number
7  
6  

Block
f block  
p block  

Element Family
Actinide  
Post-​Transition  

CAS Number
7440713  
20
7440086  
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc  
Pm-3m  

Space Group Number
194.00  
7
221.00  
4

Facts

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  

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  
Pierre Curie and Marie Curie  

Discovery
In 1950  
In 1898  

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
0.00 %  
38
0.00 %  
40

Abundance In Sun
0.00 %  
30
-  

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %  
99+
-  

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.00 %  
99+
0.00 %  
99+

Abundance In Oceans
-  
0.00 %  
99+

Abundance In Humans
0.00 %  
24
0.00 %  
24

Uses

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  

Medical Uses
-  
-  

Other Uses
Alloys, Nuclear Research  
Alloys  

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Toxic  
Highly Toxic  

Present in Human Body
No  
No  

In Blood
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3  
40
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3  
40

In Bone
0.00 p.p.m.  
99+
0.00 p.p.m.  
99+

Physical

Melting Point
900.00 °C  
99+
254.00 °C  
99+

Boiling Point
1,470.00 °C  
99+
962.00 °C  
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid  
Solid  

Color
Silver  
Silver  

Luster
-  
-  

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
3.00  
13
2.50  
15

Brinell Hardness
170.00 MPa  
99+
70.00 MPa  
99+

Vickers Hardness
1,800.00 MPa  
7
30.00 MPa  
99+

Speed of Sound
2,260.00 m/s  
99+
2,260.00 m/s  
99+

Optical Properties
  
  

Refractive Index
1.30  
99+
2.70  
3

Reflectivity
63.00 %  
20
50.00 %  
31

Allotropes
No  
Yes  

α Allotropes
-  
α-polonium  

β Allotropes
-  
β-polonium  

γ Allotropes
-  
-  

Chemical

Chemical Formula
Cf  
Po  

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
20  
19
29  
10

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.30  
33
2.00  
8

Sanderson Electronegativity
1.30  
25
2.00  
10

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.20  
28
1.76  
3

Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
1.30  
33
2.48  
1

Allen Electronegativity
1.30  
40
2.19  
2

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.70  
22
2.00  
99+

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
14

2nd Energy Level
1,206.00 kJ/mol  
99+
1,833.20 kJ/mol  
17

3rd Energy Level
2,267.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
99+

4th Energy Level
3,599.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,121.00 kJ/mol  
7

5th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
12

6th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
32

7th Energy level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
26

8th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
26

9th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
23

10th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
27

11th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
26

12th Energy Level
60,800.00 kJ/mol  
14
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
99+

13th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
19

14th Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
30
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
18

15th Energy Level
62,400.00 kJ/mol  
39
81,200.00 kJ/mol  
15

16th Energy Level
62,400.00 kJ/mol  
29
81,200.00 kJ/mol  
12

17th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
32

18th Energy Level
6,085.00 kJ/mol  
99+
8,120.00 kJ/mol  
21

19th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
29

20th Energy Level
578.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.00 kJ/mol  
22

21st Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
16
812.10 kJ/mol  
40

22nd Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
39
812.00 kJ/mol  
17

23rd Energy Level
6,080.00 kJ/mol  
17
812.10 kJ/mol  
99+

24th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
13

25th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
11

26th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
11

27th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
10

28th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
16

29th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.10 kJ/mol  
15

30th Energy Level
608.00 kJ/mol  
99+
812.00 kJ/mol  
11

Electrochemical Equivalent
3.12 g/amp-hr  
17
3.90 g/amp-hr  
8

Electron Work Function
4.70 eV  
15
4.50 eV  
19

Other Chemical Properties
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility  
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility  

Atomic

Atomic Number
98  
20
84  
32

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  

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
98  
20
84  
32

Number of Neutrons
153  
10
125  
20

Number of Electrons
98  
20
84  
32

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
186.00 pm  
11
168.00 pm  
25

Covalent Radius
186.00 pm  
21
140.00 pm  
99+

Van der Waals Radius
244.00 pm  
14
197.00 pm  
36

Atomic Weight
251.00 amu  
17
209.00 amu  
28

Atomic Volume
15.10 cm3/mol  
99+
22.23 cm3/mol  
22

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Berkelium
  
Bismuth
  

Next Element
Francium
  

Valence Electron Potential
44.50 (-eV)  
39
9.30 (-eV)  
99+

Lattice Constant
338.00 pm  
99+
335.90 pm  
99+

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3  
π/2, π/2, π/2  

Lattice C/A Ratio
1.58  
34
1.46  
99+

Mechanical

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
15.10 g/cm3  
21
9.20 g/cm3  
99+

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
15.10 g/cm3  
22
9.40 g/cm3  
99+

Tensile Strength
50.00 MPa  
38
50.00 MPa  
38

Viscosity
0.00  
25
0.00  
26

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 1000 K
0.00 (Pa)  
22
0.00 (Pa)  
37

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.00 (Pa)  
24
0.00 (Pa)  
37

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
29.00 GPa  
29
24.00 GPa  
40

Bulk Modulus
40.00 GPa  
38
46.00 GPa  
28

Young's Modulus
0.00 GPa  
99+
46.00 GPa  
99+

Poisson Ratio
0.30  
14
0.23  
30

Other Mechanical Properties
Malleable, Sectile  
-  

Magnetic

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
15.10  
24
9.32  
99+

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic  
Nonmagnetic  

Permeability
0.00 H/m  
8
0.00 H/m  
15

Susceptibility
0.00  
24
0.00  
24

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
-  
Conductor  

Resistivity
6.20 nΩ·m  
99+
0.40 nΩ·m  
99+

Electrical Conductivity
0.11 106/cm Ω  
23
0.02 106/cm Ω  
99+

Electron Affinity
97.00 kJ/mol  
12
183.30 kJ/mol  
3

Thermal

Specific Heat
0.10 J/(kg K)  
99+
0.12 J/(kg K)  
99+

Molar Heat Capacity
26.70 J/mol·K  
33
26.40 J/mol·K  
36

Thermal Conductivity
10.00 W/m·K  
99+
20.00 W/m·K  
99+

Critical Temperature
900.00 K  
99+
527.00 K  
99+

Thermal Expansion
11.70 µm/(m·K)  
99+
23.50 µm/(m·K)  
16

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
311.40 kJ/mol  
99+
60.30 kJ/mol  
99+

Enthalpy of Fusion
15.10 kJ/mol  
21
13.00 kJ/mol  
32

Enthalpy of Atomization
-  
134.00 kJ/mol  
99+

Standard Molar Entropy
50.00 J/mol.K  
99+
41.10 J/mol.K  
99+

Periodic Table >>
<< All

Compare Actinide Series

Actinide Series

Actinide Series

» More Actinide Series

Compare Actinide Series

» More Compare Actinide Series