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Polonium was discovered by Marie Curie and Pierre Curie in 1898.

Radium was discovered by Marie Curie, Pierre Curie and G. Bemont also in 1898.

They are two natural elements, metals, extremely radioactive.

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9y ago
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6mo ago

Yes, polonium is more radioactive than uranium. It emits highly energetic alpha particles that can be harmful if not properly handled. Uranium also emits radiation, but it is less intense than that of polonium.

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15y ago

Polonium is more harmful, because the most common isotope of Polonium has a half-life of 138 days. while the most common isotope of Radium, while still highly radioactive, has a half-life of 1,602 years. Both Polonium and Radium are naturally occurring and were both first discovered by Madame Curie in 1898 while trying to understand the radioactive properties of pitchblend. Radium is about 500 times as abundant on earth than Polonium. Radium was the probable cause of Marie Curie's early death from aplastic anemia on July 4th 1934, after many years of handling the substance without realising the very harmful effects of radiation. Polonium was famously the cause of death of the former Russian spy (an ex-KGB colonel) Alexander Litvinenko, who drunk tea that had been secretly poisoned with the substance in the bar of the Millenium hotel in London on November 1st 2006. He died 22 days later.

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11y ago

Both polonium and uranium have different isotopes. You can't simply compare one element to another; you have to compare individual isotopes. Check the Wikipedia articles (or other sources) on Uranium and Polonium, to get a list of common isotopes; the isotopes that has the shortest half-life will decay fastest, and can thus be said to be "more radioactive".

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9y ago

Each element has different isotopes with different specific activities; the comparison may be valid only between specified isotopes.
So, polonium-210 is more radioactive than radium-226.

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14y ago

Radium and polonium are natural chemical elements, metals, radioactive, unstable, discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie, Pierre Curie and Bemont.

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13y ago

The specific (radio)activity and the toxicity of polonium are greater.

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polonium decays faster than uranium thus making polonium more radioactive.

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15y ago

It all depends on the dose.

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Q: Is polonium more radioactive than uranium?
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Related questions

Which element is more radioactive than uranium?

Polonium is more radioactive than uranium. It emits alpha particles and has a very short half-life, making it more radioactive than uranium.


What elements did Marie Curie discovered?

She discovered the elements Polonium, which was named after her homeland, and radium. Polonium is 4x more radioactive than uranium and radium is 10x more radioactive than uranium.


Which element is more radioactive and explosive uranium or polonium?

Polonium is more radioactive than uranium, as it emits alpha particles that are highly energetic. However, uranium is more explosive due to its ability to undergo fission reactions, which release a large amount of energy quickly.


What is more radioactive than pure uranium?

Many radioactive isotopes are more radioactive than the naturally occurring uranium isotopes:All fission product isotopes are more radioactive (e.g. iodine-131, strontium-90)Most radioactive isotopes in the uranium --> lead decay chain are more radioactive (e.g. radium, radon, polonium)Plutonium is more radioactiveTritium is more radioactiveCarbon-14 is more radioactiveArtificially produced uranium isotopes are more radioactive (e.g. uranium-233, uranium-236)etc.


When and how polonium was discovered?

Studying residues of uranium ores Marie Curie found that these residues are more radioactive than uranium; she attributed this radioactivity to an unknown element. She isolated this element and named this element polonium.


Why did Marie Curie discover polonium?

Studying residues of uranium ores Marie Curie found that these residues are more radioactive than uranium; she attributed this radioactivity to a new element. She isolated this element and named polonium.


Why did Marie Curie discover polonium and radium?

Studying residues of uranium ores, Marie Curie and Pierre Curie found that these residues are more radioactive than uranium; they attributed this radioactivity to unknown elements. They isolated these elements and named these elements polonium and radium.


How much more active is polonium than uranium?

Polonium is more radioactive than uranium as it emits alpha particles at a much higher rate. Polonium-210, for example, has a half-life of only 138 days compared to billions of years for some isotopes of uranium.


How did Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the presence of radioactive elements other than uranium?

Polonium and radium are discovered in wastes from uranium minerals, after uranium separation. The important radioactivity of these residues (without uranium) warned the two about the possible existence of other radioactive elements.


How did Marie Curie find out polonium?

Studying residues of uranium ores Marie Curie found that these residues are more radioactive than uranium; she attributed this radioactivity to unknown elements. She isolated these elements and named these elements polonium and radium.


Why did Marie Curie invent polonium?

Polonium was discovered - not invented !Studying residues of uranium ores Marie Curie and Pierre Curie found that these residues are more radioactive than uranium; they attributed this radioactivity to unknown elements. They isolated these elements and named these elements polonium and radium.


What did Marie Curie do polonium?

Studying residues of uranium ores Marie Curie and Pierre Curie found that these residues are more radioactive than uranium; they attributed this radioactivity to unknown elements. They isolated these elements and named these elements polonium and radium.