Polonium Electron Configuration

Reference tool for polonium's electron configuration (1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴), orbital box diagram, and key atomic properties.

Z = 84 Po Polonium

Polonium — Electron Configuration

Atomic number 84 · Post-transition metal / Metalloid · Period 6, Group 16 · p-block

[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴ 84 electrons 6 valence e⁻ Radioactive

Subshell Breakdown

Subshell Type Electrons Max Capacity Notation
1s s orbital, shell n=1 2 2 1s²
2s s orbital, shell n=2 2 2 2s²
2p p orbitals, shell n=2 6 6 2p⁶
3s s orbital, shell n=3 2 2 3s²
3p p orbitals, shell n=3 6 6 3p⁶
3d d orbitals, shell n=3 10 10 3d¹⁰
4s s orbital, shell n=4 2 2 4s²
4p p orbitals, shell n=4 6 6 4p⁶
4d d orbitals, shell n=4 10 10 4d¹⁰
4f f orbitals, shell n=4 14 14 4f¹⁴
5s s orbital, shell n=5 2 2 5s²
5p p orbitals, shell n=5 6 6 5p⁶
5d d orbitals, shell n=5 10 10 5d¹⁰
6s s orbital, shell n=6 2 2 6s²
6p p orbitals, shell n=6 (valence) 4 6 6p⁴
Total 84

Full Configuration

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴

All 16 subshells written explicitly (84 electrons).

Noble-Gas Shorthand

[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴

[Xe] = 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ (the 54-electron xenon core).

Shell Fill Summary

Shell 1 (n=1) — 1s² 2 / 2 electrons (100%)
Shell 2 (n=2) — 2s² 2p⁶ 8 / 8 electrons (100%)
Shell 3 (n=3) — 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 18 / 18 electrons (100%)
Shell 4 (n=4) — 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 32 / 32 electrons (100%)
Shell 5 (n=5) — 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 18 / 50 electrons (36%)
Shell 6 (n=6) — 6s² 6p⁴ 6 / 72 electrons (8%)

Shell 5 can hold up to 50 electrons (5s + 5p + 5d + 5f + 5g). Polonium uses 18. Shell 6 can hold up to 72; polonium uses only 6 in the 6s and 6p subshells.

Summary

Reference tool for polonium's electron configuration (1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴), orbital box diagram, and key atomic properties.

How it works

  1. The Aufbau principle fills orbitals from lowest to highest energy.
  2. Polonium's 84 electrons fill sixteen subshells across six principal shells.
  3. The xenon core ([Xe]) accounts for the first 54 electrons.
  4. The 4f subshell holds 14 electrons across seven orbitals, filling the f-block.
  5. The 5d subshell holds 10 electrons across five orbitals, completing the inner d-block.
  6. The 6p subshell holds 4 electrons: two orbitals are filled, one carries a lone pair, and the last holds a partially filled pair — following Hund's rule.

Use cases

  • Quick reference for chemistry homework on radioactive p-block elements.
  • Visualize how 84 electrons fill across six principal shells.
  • Understand why polonium shows +2 and +4 as its most common oxidation states.
  • Compare polonium to sulfur and selenium in Group 16 above it.
  • Teaching aid for f-block filling and the transition into Period 6 p-block elements.
  • Verify the noble-gas shorthand and its expansion for Period 6 heavy elements.
  • Explore how the 6p⁴ configuration mirrors oxygen, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium above it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by Nham Vu