Element: Sulfur
General data
| Element name | Sulfur |
|---|---|
| Chemical symbol | S |
| Atomic number Z | 16 |
| Year discovered | known since antiquity |
| Standard state (25°C) | Solid |
| Category | Nonmetal |
| Block | p |
| Atomic mass | 32.06 |
| CPK color | #FFFF30 |
Physical properties
| Melting point | 388.36 K (115.21 °C) |
|---|---|
| Boiling point | 717.75 K (444.60 °C) |
| Density | 2.067 g/cm³ |
Energy properties
| First ionization energy | 10.36 eV |
|---|---|
| Electron affinity | 2.077 eV |
Atomic structure
| Protons | 16 (Atomic number) |
|---|---|
| Neutrons (S-32, most abundant isotope) | 16 |
| Electrons | 16 |
| Electron configuration | [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴ |
| Oxidation states | +6, +4, -2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.58 |
| Atomic radius (van der Waals) | 180 pm |
Ionization energies - NIST ASD (16 states)
| State | Charge | Ioniz. energy (eV) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| S I | 0+ | 10.3600167 ± 0.0000014 | measured |
| S II | 1+ | 23.33788 ± 0.00025 | measured |
| S III | 2+ | 34.86 ± 0.04 | semi-empirical |
| S IV | 3+ | 47.222 ± 0.012 | semi-empirical |
| S V | 4+ | 72.5945 ± 0.0004 | measured |
| S VI | 5+ | 88.0529 ± 0.0004 | measured |
| S VII | 6+ | 280.954 ± 0.007 | measured |
| S VIII | 7+ | 328.794 ± 0.007 | measured |
| S IX | 8+ | 379.84 ± 0.21 | semi-empirical |
| S X | 9+ | 447.7 ± 0.3 | semi-empirical |
| S XI | 10+ | 504.55 ± 0.12 | semi-empirical |
| S XII | 11+ | 564.41 ± 0.05 | semi-empirical |
| S XIII | 12+ | 651.96 ± 0.12 | semi-empirical |
| S XIV | 13+ | 706.994 ± 0.007 | calculated |
| S XV | 14+ | 3223.78057 ± 0.0002 | calculated |
| S XVI | 15+ | 3494.188518 ± 0.000019 | calculated |
Value type as given by NIST ASD: measured - from evaluated experimental data; calculated - from ab initio calculations (mostly highly ionised atoms that have not been measured; for the simplest ones, e.g. H I, the calculation is more accurate than measurement); semi-empirical - from interpolation, extrapolation or another semi-empirical method.
Photos
Isotopes (24)
| A | N | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-26 | 10 | < 79 ns | p |
| S-27 | 11 | 16.3 ms | EC/β⁺ |
| S-28 | 12 | 125 ms | EC/β⁺ |
| S-29 | 13 | 188 ms | EC/β⁺ |
| S-30 | 14 | 1.1798 s | EC/β⁺ |
| S-31 | 15 | 2.5534 s | EC/β⁺ |
| S-32 | 16 | stable | - |
| S-33 | 17 | stable | - |
| S-34 | 18 | stable | - |
| S-35 | 19 | 87.35 d | β⁻ |
| S-36 | 20 | stable | - |
| S-37 | 21 | 5.05 min | β⁻ |
| S-38 | 22 | 170.3 min | β⁻ |
| S-39 | 23 | 11.5 s | β⁻ |
| S-40 | 24 | 8.8 s | β⁻ |
| S-41 | 25 | 2.6 s | β⁻ |
| S-42 | 26 | 1.016 s | β⁻ |
| S-43 | 27 | 265 ms | β⁻ |
| S-44 | 28 | 124.5 ms | β⁻ |
| S-45 | 29 | 68 ms | β⁻ |
| S-46 | 30 | 50 ms | β⁻ |
| S-47 | 31 | unknown | β⁻ |
| S-48 | 32 | unknown | β⁻ |
| S-49 | 33 | unknown | β⁻ |
Data sources
- PubChem Periodic Table API - Retrieved on 29 June 2026 - licence: CC0
- IUPAC CIAAW - Abridged Standard Atomic Weights 2024 - Table version: 2024 - licence: Public domain
- NNDC Wallet Cards 2023 - Data as of 15 October 2024 - licence: Public domain
- NIST Atomic Spectra Database (ASD) - Retrieved on 29 June 2026 - licence: © U.S. Secretary of Commerce
- Images of Elements - Retrieved on 29 June 2026 - licence: CC BY 3.0