What are 2 unstable isotopes of polonium?
Isotopes of polonium
| Isotope | ||
|---|---|---|
| abundance | half-life (t1/2) | |
| 208Po | syn | 2.898 y |
| 209Po | syn | 125.2 y |
| 210Po | trace | 138.376 d |
Is polonium-210 an isotope?
Polonium-210 is one of 25 known radioactive isotopes of polonium. Purified polonium is very volatile, and polonium isotopes are radioactive. The most common and best-known polonium isotope is polonium-210. This material is highly dangerous, but it has a relatively short half-life.
Is polonium-210 soluble in water?
Polonium is a radioactive, extremely rare semi-metal. It is reactive, silvery-gray, it dissolves in dilute acids, but it is only slightly soluble in alkalis.
What are the isotopes of polonium?
Polonium ( Po) has 25 known isotopes, all of which are radioactive. They have atomic masses that range from 194u to 218u. 210 Po is the most widely available. 209 Po (half-life 103 years) and 208 Po (half-life 2.9 years) can be made through the alpha, proton, or deuteron bombardment of lead or bismuth in a cyclotron.
What is polonium-210?
Polonium-210 (Po-210) is a radioactive material that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust at very low levels. Po-210 is a product of the radioactive decay of uranium-238, which decays to radon-222 and then to polonium. Polonium 210 has a half-life of 138 days.
What is the longest lasting isotope of a radioactive element?
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have determined* that polonium-209, the longest-lived isotope of this radioactive heavy element, has a half-life about 25 percent longer than the previously determined value, which had been in use for decades.
How did NIST determine the half-life of a radioactive decay product?
According to research chemist Ron Collé, the half-life determination was possible because of NIST’s ability to perform decay measurements over a period of 20 years.