Sulfur (S)
Sulfur is element 16, a nonmetal in group 16, period 3. A neutral atom has 16 protons, 16 neutrons and 16 electrons, 6 of them valence electrons.
Nonmetal- Atomic number
- 16
- Atomic mass
- 32.07 u
- Valence electrons
- 6
- Protons · neutrons
- 16 · 16
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 6
- At room temperature
- solid
Bohr model of sulfur
The Bohr model draws sulfur as a nucleus of 16 protons and 16 neutrons, with its 16 electrons on 3 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 6 in shell 3. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the M shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of sulfur
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴
Short form (noble gas notation): [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴. The [Ne] stands for the electrons of neon, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does sulfur have?
Sulfur has 6 valence electrons.
Sulfur is in group 16, and for groups 13–18 you subtract 10 from the group number: 16 − 10 = 6. It tends to gain 2 electrons to complete an octet, forming a −2 ion.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 16 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 16 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 16 | mass number 32 − 16 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Sulfur properties
| Symbol | S |
|---|---|
| Category | Nonmetal |
| Group · period · block | 16 · 3 · p |
| Atomic mass | 32.07 u |
| State at 25 °C | solid |
| Melting point | 388.4 K (115 °C, 239 °F) |
| Boiling point | 717.8 K (445 °C, 832 °F) |
| Density | 2.067 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.58 |
| Atomic radius | 180 pm |
| First ionization energy | 10.36 eV |
| Electron affinity | 2.077 eV |
| Oxidation states | +6, +4, −2 |
| Common ion charge | −2 |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
Where sulfur sits on the periodic table
Group 16: Oxygen, Selenium, Tellurium, Polonium, Livermorium.
Questions about sulfur
How many valence electrons does sulfur have?
Sulfur has 6 valence electrons.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does sulfur have?
A neutral sulfur atom has 16 protons and 16 electrons. Its most common form has about 16 neutrons (mass number 32 − 16 protons).
What is the electron configuration of sulfur?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴, written in short form as [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴.
What does the Bohr model of sulfur look like?
A nucleus of 16 protons and 16 neutrons, circled by 3 electron shells holding 2, 8, 6 electrons.
What is the atomic number of sulfur?
16. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom sulfur.