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16 S

Chemical element · Atomic number 16

Sulfur (S)

Other nonmetals · Period 3 · Solid

Explore sulfur isotopes Locate in periodic table

Element identity

Atomic number (Z)
16
Symbol
S
Atomic weight / isotope mass number
32.06(2)
Category
Other nonmetals
Physical state (reference)
Solid
Period
3
Group (reference)
16
Block
p

Physical properties

Appearance
Lemon yellow sintered microcrystals
Density
Alpha: 2.07 g·cm⁻³ Beta: 1.96 g·cm⁻³ Gamma: 1.92 g·cm⁻³
Melting point
388.36 K / 115.21 °C / 239.38 °F
Boiling point
717.8 K / 444.6 °C / 832.3 °F
Sublimation point
Not available

Atomic and material properties

Electron configuration
[Ne] 3s² 3p⁴
Electrons per shell
K2 L8 M6
Oxidation states
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, −1, −2
Electronegativity (Pauling)
2.58
Atomic radius
88 pm
Covalent radius
105±3 pm
Molar ionization energies
1st: 999.6 kJ·mol⁻¹ 2nd: 2252 kJ·mol⁻¹ 3rd: 3357 kJ·mol⁻¹ 4th: 4556 kJ·mol⁻¹ 5th: 7004.3 kJ·mol⁻¹ 6th: 8495.8 kJ·mol⁻¹ 7th: 27,107 kJ·mol⁻¹ 8th: 31,719 kJ·mol⁻¹ 9th: 36,621 kJ·mol⁻¹ 10th: 43,177 kJ·mol⁻¹ 11th: 48,710 kJ·mol⁻¹ 12th: 54,460 kJ·mol⁻¹ 13th: 62,930 kJ·mol⁻¹ 14th: 68,216 kJ·mol⁻¹ 15th: 311,048 kJ·mol⁻¹ 16th: 337,138 kJ·mol⁻¹
Thermal conductivity
Amorphous: 0.205 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹
Molar heat capacity
22.75 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹
Crystal structure
Orthorhombic
CAS number
7704-34-9

Sources and interpretation

Snapshot exported 24 October 2026 from the element assets used by Nuclides. Properties are a reference compilation, not a new evaluation. Missing values are shown as “Not available”. Density and phase depend on temperature, pressure and allotrope; retained conditions are part of the quoted property.

Atomic weight is dimensionless. Parentheses give uncertainty in the last quoted digits. A single integer in square brackets is an isotope mass number, not a standard atomic weight. The snapshot can differ from current evaluations; consult CIAAW standard atomic weights and the IUPAC periodic table for current values and conventions.

Element properties in the App snapshot are adapted from Wikipedia. Each element page links to its source article; text adaptations are available under CC BY-SA 4.0. No third-party images are included.

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