Final answer:
To calculate the density of polonium, which crystallizes in a simple cubic arrangement, we use the unit cell edge length to determine the volume, and then find the mass by considering there's one polonium atom per unit cell. The density is the mass divided by the volume, given in g/cm3.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is about determining the density of polonium which crystallizes in a simple cubic arrangement. Given the edge length of a unit cell (d) is 334 pm, we can calculate the density using the formula: density = mass/volume.
First, the volume of the unit cell is the cube of the edge length: volume = d3. With the edge length being 334 pm, or 3.34 x 10-8 cm, the volume in cubic centimeters is (3.34 x 10-8 cm)3.
To find the mass of one unit cell of polonium, we take into account that in a simple cubic lattice, there is one polonium atom per unit cell. Using the atomic mass of polonium (209 g/mol) and Avogadro's number (6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol), the mass of a single polonium atom can be calculated and then the mass of one unit cell since it contains one atom.
Finally, the density of polonium is calculated by dividing the mass of one unit cell by the volume of the unit cell. The result should be converted to grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).