Radon
Radon (氡, symbol Rn) is chemical element number 86, a Noble Gas in period 6, group 18 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 222. Radioactive noble gas. Major source of natural radiation exposure for humans.
Properties
| Atomic number | 86 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Rn |
| Atomic mass | 222 u |
| Category | Noble Gas |
| Period | 6 |
| Group | 18 |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ |
| Electronegativity | 2.2 |
| Covalent radius | 150 pm |
| Density | 0.00973 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 202 K |
| Boiling point | 211.3 K |
| Discovery | Friedrich Ernst Dorn, 1900 |
Overview
Radioactive noble gas. Major source of natural radiation exposure for humans. Radon (Rn) is a Noble Gas with atomic number 86, located in period 6, group 18. As a noble gas it has a full outer shell, is extremely unreactive, and exists as a monatomic gas at room temperature.
Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶, with 8 electrons in the outer shell, and an electronegativity of about 2.2 (Pauling). Around 25 °C it is usually a gas (a very low melting point); it melts near 202 K (-71.1 °C), boils near 211.3 K (-61.8 °C), has a density around 0.00973 g/cm³.
In industry and daily life it turns up in Research and Industrial Gas. It is regarded as a high-hazard element, so handle it with appropriate care. It was first described by Friedrich Ernst Dorn in 1900.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 18 · 8
Main uses
- Research
- Industrial Gas
Hazard
Compounds containing Radon
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Radon yet.
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.