Polonium (Noun)
Meaning
A radioactive metallic element that is similar to tellurium and bismuth; occurs in uranium ores but can be produced by bombarding bismuth with neutrons in a nuclear reactor.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Polonium is a highly radioactive and highly reactive metalloid that requires special equipment to handle safely.
- The production of polonium typically involves bombarding bismuth with neutrons in a nuclear reactor to produce a small quantity of the radioactive element.
- Polonium is now known to be present in small but significant quantities in uranium ores.
- Because of its similarity to tellurium and bismuth, polonium is not always easy to isolate and purify from other elements.
- Researchers typically use highly specialized equipment to handle and study polonium due to its extreme radioactivity and short half-life.