016Reactive nonmetal · Group 16 · Period 3
Sulfur
Sulfur (S) is element 16, a reactive nonmetal in the p-block — group 16, period 3. It is a solid at room temperature with 3 electron shells (2, 8, 6) and an atomic mass of 32.06 u.
- Atomic mass
- 32.06 u
- Phase · STP
- solid
- Melting
- 388 K · 115 °C
- Boiling
- 718 K · 445 °C
- Electronegativity
- 2.58
- Density
- 2.07 g/cm³
Photograph — James St. John, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Emission spectrum
The visible light Sulfur emits when energised — its unique spectral fingerprint.
Identity
- Atomic number
- 16
- Standard atomic weight
- 32.06 u
- Category
- Reactive nonmetal
- Group
- 16 · Chalcogens
- Period
- 3
- Block
- p-block
- Oxidation states
- +6, +4, -2
Physical properties
- Melting point
- 388 K · 115 °C
- Boiling point
- 718 K · 445 °C
- Density
- 2.07 g/cm³
- Molar heat capacity
- 22.75 J/(mol·K)
- Atomic radius
- 180 pm
- Electron affinity
- 200.4101 kJ/mol
Atomic structure
16protons
16neutrons
16electrons
6valence e⁻
- Noble-gas notation
- [Ne] 3s2 3p4
- Full configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 6
Periodic trends
Where Sulfur ranks across all 118 elements.
Ionization energies
Energy to remove each successive electron (kJ/mol).
999.61
2.3k2
3.4k3
4.6k4
7.0k5
8.5k6
27.1k7
31.7k8
36.6k9
43.2k10
Successive ionization energies (kJ/mol, log scale).
Discovery
- Discovered
- Ancient
- Discovered by
- Ancient china
- Named by
- —
- Appearance
- lemon yellow sintered microcrystals