Sulfur(S)
Sulfur (S) is a reactive nonmetal in period 3 of the periodic table. Its properties reflect its electron configuration and position among neighbouring elements.
KEY PROPERTIES
Electron configuration & shells
[Ne] 3s² 3p⁴
Shell model is schematic — see lesson on atomic structure for orbitals. Oxidation states: -2, +4, +6. Common ions: S²⁻.
Measured properties
Values at stated conditions; missing data shown as “—”. Radii distinguished by type; densities at stated phase/temperature.
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.58
- First ionization energy
- 1000 kJ·mol⁻¹ (first ionization, gas phase)
- Atomic radius
- 88 pm (calculated)
- Covalent radius
- 105 pm (covalent)
- Van der Waals radius
- 180 pm (van der Waals)
- Density
- 2.067 g·cm⁻³ (solid at 20 °C, 1 atm)
- Melting point
- 388.36 K (1 atm)
- Boiling point
- 717.87 K (1 atm)
Standard conditions: 1 atm unless noted. Values with null are not established or not comparable across allotropes. Radii are distinguished by type. Densities at stated phase/temperature.
| Mass number | Abundance | Stability | Half-life |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | trace/synthetic | stable | — |
Isotopic abundances are natural terrestrial values where applicable; synthetic isotopes shown as trace.
Occurrence & uses
Occurs naturally; abundance and extraction depend on geochemistry. For heavy synthetics (Z > 92), no natural occurrence.
- Industrial use
- Laboratory reagent
- Research
BIOLOGICAL ROLE
Biologically relevant — see uses/occurrence for context.
Discovery
Unknown — —
Safety
Compounds featuring S
Reactions involving S
RELATED CONTENT
SOURCES
- [nist-atomic-weights]nist-atomic-weights (2022)/#nist-atomic-weights
- [nist-2022]nist-2022 (2022)/#nist-2022
- [iupac-gold]iupac-gold (2022)/#iupac-gold
Last reviewed: 2026-08-22 • Reviewer: dr-example