Radon (Rn)
"The Invisible Threat, a silent, unseen villain that can accumulate in basements and is a leading cause of lung cancer."
A memorable persona to anchor Rn in your mind.
9.73
Grams per cm³
-71
Celsius (°C)
220
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Radon has no everyday connection; it�s a known household hazard.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1900
Discovered By
Friedrich Ernst Dorn
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from radium, as it was first detected as an emission from radium during radioactive decay."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
[222] u
Standard State
gas
Boiling Point
-61.7°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f145d106s26p6
1st Ionization Energy
10.745 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas."
Did You Know?
It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that is naturally produced by the decay of uranium in soil and rocks.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide, after smoking. It can seep into basements and buildings, accumulating to dangerous levels.
It is the densest known gas, about eight times denser than air.
Radon was once used in a form of radiotherapy called 'radon therapy', where people would sit in radon-rich mines or spas, a practice now considered extremely dangerous.