Sulfur (S)
Element 16 · Reactive nonmetal · Solid at 25 °C · Group 16, Period 3
Sulfur is the brittle yellow element found around volcanoes. Its most important compound, sulfuric acid, is produced in greater quantity than any other industrial chemical.
On the periodic table, sulfur sits in group 16 — the chalcogens (oxygen group) — in period 3. It is one of 7 elements classified as a reactive nonmetal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
The reactive nonmetals are a diverse family that includes hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and selenium. They gain or share electrons in chemical reactions, forming the covalent bonds that hold molecules together. Most of the atoms in living things — including virtually all of you — belong to this category.
Properties of sulfur
| Atomic number (Z) | 16 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | S |
| Atomic mass | 32.06 |
| Category | Reactive nonmetal |
| Group | 16 |
| Period | 3 |
| Block | p-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Nonmetal |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Ne] 3s2 3p4 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.58 |
| Melting point | 115.21 °C (388.36 K / 239.38 °F) |
| Boiling point | 444.6 °C (717.75 K / 832.28 °F) |
| Density | 2.067 g/cm³ |
Position in the periodic table
Sulfur shares group 16 — the chalcogens (oxygen group) with Oxygen (O), Selenium (Se), Tellurium (Te), Polonium (Po), Livermorium (Lv). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.
Within this dataset, it ranks #9 in electronegativity out of 99 elements with a pauling value.
Physical properties
Sulfur melts at 115.21 °C (388.36 K / 239.38 °F) and boils at 444.6 °C (717.75 K / 832.28 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 329.4 °C at standard pressure.
Its density is 2.067 g/cm³.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, periodic trends.