Radon

Astatine - Radon Xe Rn Uuo       Full table
General
Name, Symbol, Number	Radon, Rn, 86
Chemical series	Noble gases
Group, Period, Block	18 (VIIIA), 6 , p
Density, Hardness	9.73 kg/m3 (273 K), NA
Appearance	colorless
Atomic Properties
Atomic weight	[222] amu
Atomic radius (calc.)	no data (120) pm
Covalent radius	145 pm
van der Waals radius	no data
Electron configuration	[Xe]4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6
e- 's per energy level	2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8
Oxidation states (Oxide)	0 (unknown)
Crystal structure	Cubic face centered
Physical Properties
State of matter	gas (nonmagnetic)
Melting point	202 K (-96 °F)
Boiling point	211.3 K (-79.1 °F)
Molar volume	50.50 ×10-3 m3/mol
Heat of vaporization	16.4 kJ/mol
Heat of fusion	2.89 kJ/mol
Vapor pressure	NA
Speed of sound	NA
Miscellaneous
Electronegativity	no data
Specific heat capacity	94 J/(kg*K)
Electrical conductivity	no data
Thermal conductivity	0.00364 W/(m*K)
1st ionization potential	1037 kJ/mol
Most Stable Isotopes
iso NA half-life DM DE MeV DP 211Rn {syn.} 14.6 h Epsilon Alpha 2.892 5.965 211At 211Po 222Rn 100% 3.824 d Alpha 5.590 218Po
SI units & STP are used except where noted.

Radon is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. A radioactive noble gas that is formed by the disintegration of radium, radon is one of the heaviest gases and is considered to be a health hazard. The most stable isotope is Rn-222 which has a half-life of 3.8 days and is used in radiotherapy.

Table of contents 1 Notable Characteristics 2 Applications 3 History 4 Occurrence 5 Isotopes 6 Precautions 7 External links

Notable Characteristics Essentially inert, radon is the heaviest noble gas and one of the heaviest gases at room temperature. (The heaviest is tungsten hexafluoride[?], WF6.) At standard temperature and pressure radon is a colorless gas but when it is cooled below its freezing point is has a brilliant phosphorescence which turns yellow as the temperature is lowered and orange-red at the temperature air liquefies. Some experiments indicate that fluorine can react with radon and form radon fluoride. Radon clathrates[?] have also been reported.

Natural radon concentrations in Earth's atmosphere are so low that natural waters in contact with the atmosphere will continually lose radon by volatilization[?]. Hence, ground water[?] has a higher concentration of Rn-222 than surface water[?]. Likewise, the saturated zone of a soil frequently has a higher radon content than the unsaturated zone due to diffusional losses to the atmosphere. Applications Radon is sometimes produced by a few hospitals for therapeutic use by pumping its gas from a radium source and storing it in very small tubes which are called seeds or needles. This practice is being phased-out as hospitals get seeds from suppliers who make them with the desired activity levels.

Because of its rabid loss to air, radon is used in hydrologic research that studies the interaction between ground water, streams and rivers. Any significant concentration of radon in a stream or river is a good indicator that there are local inputs of ground water. History Radon (named for radium) was discovered in 1900 by Friedrich Ernst Dorn, who called it radium emanation. In 1908 William Ramsay and Robert Whytlaw-Gray, who named it niton (Latin nitens meaning "shining"), isolated it, determined its density and that it was the heaviest known gas. It has been called radon since 1923. Occurrence On average, one molecule of radon is in 1 x 10²¹ molecules of air. Every square mile of soil down to depth of 6 inches has about 1 gram of radium, which decays to radon and release tiny amounts of this deadly gas into the atmosphere. Radon can be found in some spring waters[?] and hot springs. Isotopes There are twenty known isotopes of radon. The most stable isotope is radon-222 which is a decay product (daughter isotope[?]) of radium-226, has a half-life of 3.823 days and emits radioactive alpha particles. Radon-220 is a natural decay product of thorium and is called thoron. It has a half-life of 55.6 seconds and also emits alpha rays. Radon-219 is derived from actinium, is called actinon, is an alpha emitter and has a half-life of 3.96 seconds. Precautions Radon is a carcinogenic gas. Radon is a radioactive material and must be handled with care at all times. It is hazardous to inhale this element since it emits alpha particles which can easily enter the airways and become permanently stuck in lung tissue. Rooms where radium, actinium, or thorium are stored should be well-ventilated in order to prevent build-up in the air. The build-up of radon is a potential health hazard in uranium and some lead mines. Build-up of radon in homes has also been a more recent health concern and many lung cancer cases are attributed to radon exposure each year.

External links

• WebElements.com - Radon (http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Rn/index)
• EnvironmentalChemistry.com - Radon (http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Rn)