- The atomic number of sulfur (S) is 16.The atomic weight of S is 32.066 grams per mole.See the Web Links to the left of this answer for a periodic table with more information about this element!It.
- Atomic Structure of Sulfur; Chemical Properties of Sulfur; Physical Properties of Sulfur; Regulatory / Health; Who/When/Where/How. Sulfur Page Two. Nuclides / Isotopes; Potential Parent Nuclides. Sulfur Page Three. Common Chemical Compounds of Sulfur. Overview of Sulfur. Atomic Number: 16; Group: 16; Period: 3; Series: Nonmetals.
Element Sulfur (S), Group 16, Atomic Number 16, p-block, Mass 32.06. Sources, facts, uses, scarcity (SRI), podcasts, alchemical symbols, videos and images.
Sulfur belongs to the chemical elements belonging to group 16 i.e. chalogens family. Oxygen, tellurium, selenium, and polonium are other members of Group 16. This Group 16 is also known as Group VIA of the periodic table. The periodic table is an ordered arrangement of chemical elements in groups and periods to better understand their behaviors in the form of groups.
Physical Properties of Sulfur: It behaves differently in different solvents for example it is insoluble in water but soluble in Carbon disulfide. Sulfur actually looks like pale yellow; physically it is a brittle solid. Moreover Sulphur has no smell. Sulphur exists in different forms such as solid, liquid or gas. In every form, sulfur is present in multiple allotropic states. There is an area for researchers to study different allotropic forms of Sulphur because their relationships are not yet fully comprehended.
Alloying Behavior of Sulphur: Sulphur is added only in free cutting steel so as to improve the property of machinability. In other types of steel, it is recommended to keep the level of Sulphur as low as possible. Although Sulphur is useful for the property of machinability but on the hand it damages the property of transverse ductility and also it compromises the mechanical property of notched impact toughness.
Occurrence of Sulphur: Sulfur is present on earth crust in different forms of meteorites which are different types of sulfides. Normal stone like meteorites contain an average 2.1% sulfur. On the other hand, carbonaceous stone like meteorites contain up to the level of 6.6%. It is naturally available as iron sulphide which is also called as troilite. Free Sulphur is found in carbonaceous chondrites. In few exceptions chondrites can also contain sulfates.
Sulfur is also present in volcano opening for example the one present in the Vulcano of Italy. The world’s 5th most occurring chemical element on the basis of mass is also element Sulphur. Therefore element sulfur can be obtained from natural hot springs and volcanic areas in numerous places of the world, particularly along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The examples of these volcanic deposits are in Chile, Indonesia and Japan. In these countries, volcanic deposits are also mined.
Chemical Properties of Sulphur: Chemical properties are the function of the atomic electronegativity. Sulphur is relatively less electronegative than oxygen and the halogens. It chemically reacts with many of the chemical elements but there are exceptions. These exceptions include gold, nitrogen, platinum and beryllium.
| Sulfur is yellow in its element state. |
Sulfur
| Atomic Number: | 16 | Atomic Radius: | 180 pm (Van der Waals) |
| Atomic Symbol: | S | Melting Point: | 115.21 °C |
| Atomic Weight: | 32.06 | Boiling Point: | 444.60 °C |
| Electron Configuration: | [Ne]3s23p4 | Oxidation States: | 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, −1, −2 (a strongly acidic oxide) |
History
Known to the ancients; referred to in Genesis as brimstone.
Sources
Sulfur is found in meteorites. R.W. Wood suggests that the dark area near the crater Aristarchus is a sulfur deposit.
Sulphur Dioxide Atomic Number
Sulfur occurs native in the vicinity of volcanos and hot springs. It is widely distributed in nature as iron pyrites, galena, sphalerite, cinnabar, stibnite, gypsum, epsom salts, celestite, barite, etc.
Production
Sulfur is commercially recovered from wells sunk into the salt domes along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Using the Frasch process heated water is forced into the wells to melt the sulfur, which is then brought to the surface.
Sulfur also occurs in natural gas and petroleum crudes and must be removed from these products. Formerly this was done chemically, which wasted the sulfur; new processes now permit recovery. Large amounts of sulfur are being recovered from Alberta gas fields.
Properties
Sulfur is pale yellow, odorless, brittle solid, which is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulfide. In every state, whether gas, liquid or solid, elemental sulfur occurs in more than one allotropic form or modification; these present a confusing multitude of forms whose relations are not yet fully understood.
In 1975, University of Pennsylvania scientists reported synthesis of polymeric sulfur nitride, which has the properties of a metal, although it contains no metal atoms. The material has unusual optical and electrical properties.
High-purity sulfur is commercially available in purities of 99.999+%.
Amorphous or 'plastic' sulfur is obtained by fast cooling of the crystalline form. X-ray studies indicate that amorphous sulfur may have a helical structure with eight atoms per spiral. Crystalline sulfur seems to be made of rings, each containing eight sulfur atoms, which fit together to give a normal X-ray pattern.
Isotopes
Eleven isotopes of sulfur exist. None of the four isotopes that are found in nature are radioactive. A finely divided form of sulfur, known as flowers of sulfur, is obtained by sublimation.
Compounds
Organic compounds containing sulfur are very important. Calcium sulfur, ammonium sulfate, carbon disulfide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide are but a few of the many important compounds of sulfur.
Uses
Sulfur is a component of black gunpowder, and is used in the vulcanization of natural rubber and a fungicide. It is also used extensively in making phosphatic fertilizers. A tremendous tonnage is used to produce sulfuric acid, the most important manufactured chemical.
It is used to make sulfite paper and other papers, to fumigate, and to bleach dried fruits. The element is a good insulator.
Sulfur is essential to life. It is a minor constituent of fats, body fluids, and skeletal minerals.
Handling
Sulfur Atomic Number Electron Configuration
Carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide should be handled carefully. Hydrogen sulfide in small concentrations can be metabolized, but in higher concentrations it quickly can cause death by respiratory paralysis.
Sulphur Atomic Model
Sulphur Atomic Mass
It quickly deadens the sense of smell. Sulfur dioxide is a dangerous component in atmospheric air pollution.