Rn
Radon[ 222 ]
Radon was discovered in 1900 by Friedrich Ernst Dorn, who called it niton. It is essentially inert. It has been called radon since 1923, before which it was called niton.
- Name:Radon
- Symbol: Rn
- Atomic number: 86
- Atomic weight:[ 222 ]
- Standard state: gas at 298 K (the heaviest known mononuclear gas at 298 K)
- Group in periodic table: 18
- Group name:Noble gas
- Period in periodic table: 6
- Block in periodic table: p-block
- Classification: Non-metallic
- occasional therapeutic use
- earthquake prediction
- radiation therapy in hospitals
Recently, radon buildup in homes from the surrounding soil and rocks has become a safety issue and some areas around the world test homes for radon gas. It is the heaviest known gas. Radon is present in some spring waters.