Sulfur

Element 16 on the periodic table, symbol S, group 16, period 3.

Sulfur or sulphur (see spelling differences) is a chemical element with symbol S and atomic number 16. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8.

Appearance: lemon yellow sintered microcrystals

Properties

Atomic Number: 16
Atomic Mass: 32.0600 u
Group: 16
Period: 3
Block: p-block
Category: Polyatomic Non-Metal
State at 25 °C: Solid
Melting Point: 388.4 K · 115.2 °C
Boiling Point: 717.8 K · 444.7 °C
Density: 2.07 g/cm³
Atomic Radius: 100 pm
Electronegativity: 2.58
Oxidation States: -2, +2, +4, +6
Abundance in Crust: 350 mg/kg
Discovered: Known since antiquity
Discovered By: Ancient china

Electron Configuration

[Ne] 3s2 3p4

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4

Ionisation Energies (kJ/mol)

1. 999.6
2. 2,252
3. 3,357
4. 4,556
5. 7,004.3
6. 8,495.8
7. 27,107
8. 31,719

Elements near Sulfur

Elements in the same group share the number of outer electrons and behave in similar ways. Elements in the same period share a shell, so they change steadily from left to right.