Polonium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 6
- Unpaired electrons
- 2
- Block
- p-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- paramagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 32 |
| O (n = 5) | 18 |
| P (n = 6) | 6 |
Polonium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Po2+ | 82 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p2 |
| Po4+ | 80 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
How to write it
Place 84 electrons into subshells in the Aufbau order (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p), filling s with 2, p with 6, d with 10 and f with 14. Polonium sits in period 6, group 16, in the p-block, so its last electron enters a p subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4.
Try polonium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full polonium data sheet.
Polonium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of polonium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴. Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴.
What is the noble gas configuration of polonium?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴. The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does polonium have?
6 (outer shell (n = 6)).
How many unpaired electrons does polonium have?
2 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Po2+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p² (82 electrons).
What is the electron configuration of Po4+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² (80 electrons).