Radon (Rn) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

Radon element (Rn) is in group 18 and period 6 of a periodic table. Radon is in the p-block and it is classified as a noble gas element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to radon which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

• Radon element (Information Table)
• Radon element in Periodic table
• Facts about Radon
• Properties of Radon

Radon Element (Information Table)

The important data related to radon element is given in the table below.

Appearance of radon	Colorless gas
Atomic number of radon	86
Symbol of radon	Rn
Atomic mass of radon (most stable isotope)	222 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in radon	Protons: 86, Neutrons: 136, Electrons: 86
State of radon (at STP)	Gas
Group number of radon in periodic table	18
Period number of radon in periodic table	6
Block of radon in periodic table	p-block
Category of radon	Noble gas
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in radon	2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8
Electron configuration of radon	[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6
Orbital diagram of radon
Valence electrons in radon	8
Atomic radius of radon (van der Waals radius)	220 picometers
Density of radon	9.73 g/L
1st ionization energy of radon	10.745 eV
Main isotope of radon	222Rn
Melting point of radon	202 K or -71 °C or -96 °F
Boiling point of radon	211.5 K or -61.7 °C or -79.1 °F
Crystal structure of radon	Face Centered Cubic (FCC)
Discovery of radon	By Ernest Rutherford and Robert Owens (in 1899)

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Radon element in Periodic table

The Radon element (Rn) has the atomic number 86 and is located in group 18 and period 6. Radon is a nonmetal and it is classified as a noble gas element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about radon

Here are a few interesting facts about the radon element.

1. Radon was given its name from the element “radon”. This is because the radon is obtained from the decay of radium.
2. Ernest Rutherford and Robert Owens discovered radon in 1899.
3. Radon is also called “Cancer causing radioactive gas”, because it is responsible for cancer in humans.
4. Out of all the gases on the periodic table, radon is the heaviest known gas.
5. Radon gas is available from the radioactive decay of radium, uranium and thorium.

Properties of radon

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of radon.

Physical properties of radon

• Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas.
• Radon is the heaviest known gas and its density is 9.73 g/L.
• When radon gas is cooled below its freezing temperature, it emits a light which changes from yellowish to reddish orange.
• There are many isotopes of radon and all those isotopes are radioactive in nature.

Chemical properties of radon

• Radon is an inert gas and because of this reason it does not show any chemical reaction with other elements. But it shows some reaction only under extreme conditions.
• Radon gas is slightly soluble in water and other organic solvents.
• Everyone breathes small amounts of radon gas, but that’s fine. If radon is inhaled in large amounts, then it causes lung cancer.

External resources:

1. Radon – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Radon – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/86/radon
2. Radon – Wikipedia. (2021, September 1). Radon – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon
3. P. (n.d.). Radon | Rn (Element) – PubChem. Radon | Rn (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Radon
4. It’s Elemental – The Element Radon. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Radon. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele086.html
5. Bondi, A. (1964, March). van der Waals Volumes and Radii. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 68(3), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1021/j100785a001
6. Holden, et al. (2018, December 1). IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the Education Community (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(12), 1833–2092. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
7. Zhang, et al. (2011, January 11). Corrected Values for Boiling Points and Enthalpies of Vaporization of Elements in Handbooks. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 56(2), 328–337. https://doi.org/10.1021/je1011086
8. What is Radon? (n.d.). What Is Radon? https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/materials-management/indoor-radon/what-is-radon
9. Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/86.shtml
10. Atomic Data for Radon (Rn). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Radon (Rn). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/radontable1.htm
11. Prohaska, T., et al. (2022, May 1). Standard atomic weights of the elements 2021 (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 94(5), 573–600. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0603
12. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
13. Kaye, G W.C., & Laby, T H. Tables of physical and chemical constants. 15th Edition. United States.
14. Sansonetti, J. E., & Martin, W. C. (2005, December). Handbook of Basic Atomic Spectroscopic Data. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 34(4), 1559–2259. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1800011
15. Radon. (2023, January 25). Radon. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/radon-and-health