Sulfur

Symbol SAtomic number 16
Atomic mass
32.06
Thermal conductivity
0.00269
Atomic radius
1.09
Covalent radius
1.02
Density
2.07
Atomic volume
15.5
Melting point
385.95
Oxidation states
2,4,6
Boiling point
717.75
Stable isotopes
4
Heat of vapor.
...
Electronegativity
2.58
Heat of fusion
1.7175
First ionization
10.360
Specific heat
0.71
Electrical conduct.
...
Electron configuration

General descriptionNuclear data
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Periodic Table

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Sulfur

Ordinary sulfur is a yellow solid substance which forms crystals with orthorhombic symmetry. It is insoluble in water, but can be dissolved in carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, and similar non-polar solvents.

This form of sulfur melts at 112.8°C to form a straw colored liquid, which then recrystalizes upon cooling to a monoclinic crystalline form.

Sulfur liquid at temperatures around 120°C is a straw-colored liquid of low viscosity, As the liquid is heated, it gradually darkens in color and becomes more viscous. At about 200°C it is a dark red mass which cannot be poured out of its container. Most substances decrease in viscosity with increasing temperature. Sulfur is unique in that it forms long chain molecules with increasing temperature, called gamma sulfur.

Sulfur has a nominal density of 2 gm/cm3, but in its rhombic crystalline form it has a density of 5.4 gm/cm3. Besides being found in pure form, sulfur can be found in minerals like gypsum, CaSO4.2H2O . Both sulfides and sulfates are important classes of minerals. A silicate mineral which contains sulfur is helvite.

This sample of sulfur is about 15x10 cm and comes from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Sulfur is one of the few elements which can be found in nature in pure form. This sample is on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

This collection of sulfur single crystals is also a part of the Smithsonian collection of minerals.

More mineral forms of sulfur
Atomic dataNuclear data
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Periodic Table

Chemistry concepts

Reference
Pauling
Ch. 14
 
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Sulfur Nuclear Data

Z
A
Atomic
Mass (u)
Nuclear
Mass(GeV/c2
Binding
Energy(MeV)
Spin
Natural
Abund.
Half-life
Decay
Q
MeV
16
32
31.972071
29.7739
271.78
0
0.9502
stable
...
...
16
33
32.971458
30.7048
280.43
3/2
0.0075
stable
...
...
16
34
33.967867
31.6329
291.84
0
0.0421
stable
...
...
16
35
34.969032
32.5655
298.83
3/2
...
87.2d
b-
0.17
16
36
35.967081
33.4952
308.71
0
0.0002
stable
...
...
16
38
37.971163
35.3620
321.06
0
...
2.84m
b-
2.94
Atomic data
Index

Periodic Table

Chemistry concepts

Reference
Rohlf
 
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