Radon -- by Stephanie W.

Why is this element important in everyday life?

Radon is produced for therapeutic use and used in many hospitals for the treatment of cancer. It is pumped from a radium source and sealed in minute tubes, called seeds or needles, for application to patients. Although Radon is helpful in the treatment of cancer, it can be very dangerous to one's health. It's main hazard is from inhalation of the element. Radon will remain inside the lungs, rather than leaving when exhaled

Where is this element found in nature?

Radon is emitted from certain rocks underground. It can accumulate in homes, particularly basements because of its tendency to collect on dust in the air. It is estimated that every square mile of soil to a depth of six inches contains about one gram of radium, which releases Radon in tiny amounts to the atmosphere

What are the properties of the element?

General Characteristics =

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas. At ordinary temperatures, it is a colorless gas. However, when it is cooled below its freezing point, Radon exhibits a brilliant phosphorescence, which becomes yellow as its temperature decreases, and is yellow and orange-red at the temperature of liquid air.

Atomic Symbol = Rn

Period Number = 6

Group Number and Family Name = 18, The Noble Gases

Atomic Number = 18

Atomic Mass = 222.0176

Density = 9.73 g/cm³

Melting Point = -71 degrees Celsius

Boiling Point = -61.8 degrees Celsius

Electron Configuration =1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s²3d¹⁰4p⁶5s²4d¹⁰5p⁶6s²5d¹⁰6p⁶7s²6d¹⁰7p²

Shorthand Notation =[Rn]

Common Reactions = Radon flouride and Radon chloride

Interesting Information = Radon was discovered is 1900 by Dorn and called Radium emanation, then later isolated in 1908 by Ramsay and Gray, who named it Niton. Niton was then changed to Radon in 1923 to show its origin from Radium. Radon is the heaviest noble gas. Its isotopes are radioactive, making radon the only radioactive gas at normal temperatures and pressures.

Who is ?

KILLER ROAMS THE STREETS An unknown gang of criminals are spreading their reign of terror throughout the world. Police officers are finding people dead in their homes. Only one suspect, by the name of Ray Don, has been found. Ray Don, or the "silent killer" as he is called on the streets, is the head of a gang called the Goble Nases. He and his followers somehow sneak in the homes of innocent victims and kill them, possibly in their sleep. Of the few that claim to know Don, they speak of him as being very quiet and anti social. The word on the streets is that he's a very plain man, yet strangely enough no one has seen him. The description and age of the "silent killer" are unknown. Investigators have not yet figured out exactly how Don and his gang secretly enter secure households and injure or sometimes kill their victims without a word, without a sound. Detectives on several of the crime scenes have devised a theory they believe to be true. Several survivors claim to have developed tumors in various parts of the body. Tests have also shown evidence of malignant cells spread throughout the bloodstream, which have been linked to Cancer in the past. Investigators consider the possibility that Don may be using some type of poisonous gas to kill his victims. Detective John Smith stated, " We have a real sneaky trickster on our hands, and I don't know how, but we'll catch 'em! One of these days Don is gonna slip up, and when he does, I'll be right behind him." Smith also confirmed that there is no trace of the suspects whereabouts yet known, and that a case as difficult as this one if far from being closed. - Stephanie Wengryn