Radon

Atomic Number: 86
Symbol: Rn
Atomic Mass: (222) u
Number of Neutrons: 136
Melting Point: -71°C
Boiling Point: -61.7°C
Electrons per shell: 2.8.18.32.18.8
Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶

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Radon is the 86th element in the periodic table and it is one of the noble gasses. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. This element doesn't react often with other elements but it can be quite dangerous to breathe in. Therefore, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. It decays into radioactive polonium. Radon is very heavy, 7.5 times heavier than air and more than 100 times heavier than hydrogen. Radon is found in rocks from the decay of radium-226. Radium-226 decays into radon by releasing alpha particles (the nucleus of a helium atom). There is also a dectable amount of radon in the atmosphere. German chemist, Friedrich E. Dorn discovered radon-222 which has a 3.823-day half-life. He discovered this element by studying radium's decay chain.

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