Radon is assumed to have existed since the earth was formed. The uranium present in the ground slowly decomposes and after many chains, releases radon which enters the environment. Although other scientists such as Marie Curie have observed the decay and radiation emitted from decomposing radium, Friedrich Ernst Dorn, a German chemist, is credited with the discovery of radon in 1900. It was originally named niton after the Latin word for shining, "nitens", but has been known as radon since 1923.
Scientific Description
Radon is element 86 on the periodic table, the last of the noble gases.
- Radon has 86 protons, 86 electrons, and 136 neutrons.
- Radon's electron configuration is [Xe] 6s2 4ƒ14 5d10 6p6
- Radon has an atomic mass of 222u.
- Radon has an atomic radius of 140pm.
Radon is known to have many isotopes ranging from Rn-196 to Rn-228. The half-life of these isotopes can range from days to milliseconds.
Physical Properties
Radon has a melting point of -71°C and a boiling point of -61.8°C. Radon is a colourless, odourless gas with a density of 9.73g/L making it the densest gas known. As a solid, radon is yellow, but turns orange-red as the temperature is lowered and glows because of the radiation produced. Radon dissolves in water and becomes a clear, colourless liquid.
Chemical Properties
Radon is a noble gas, and thus tends to not react or form compounds with other elements. However, scientists have succeeded under certain conditions to create compounds with noble gases. The compounds are made to react with a very reactive element such as fluorine. Radon and fluorine produce the compound RnF.
Technological Applications
Radon is used in several different ways, although some of their uses are questionable.
Radon is used in hydrologic research that studies the interaction between ground water, streams and rivers. Any significant concentration of radon in a stream or river is a reliable indicator that there are nearby sources of ground water.
Radon is also used as a radioactive tracer to spot gas leeks.
In the United States and Europe there are a few "radon spas" where people sit from minutes to hours in a high radon atmosphere, believing that it will somehow invigorate or energize them. Their is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
Some physicians use radon as a radiation source in cancer therapy, but this is discouraged, because it has yet to be determined how much exposure to radon is safe.
Safety
The following is a link for the MSDS sheet for radon: http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/RA/radon.html
In the past, there was much concern about radon gas. Radon is produced from decaying uranium, and floats up into the environment as a gas. People were concerned about radon entering houses from deposits of uranium in the earth. Radon is radioactive, which kills cells. Unless you had a radioactive tracer/detector, you probably would not know there was radon gas in your house because it was colourless and odourless. However, radon does not have a very long half life. Unfortunately, radon may break down into polonium-214, polonium-218, or lead-214, which are also radioactive, can cause cancer, and causes respiratory problems.
Careers
There are no careers specifically related to radon. However, any career having to do with chemistry, health, or the environment is applicable since radon affects them all quite a bit.
Bibliography
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem99/chem99358.htm
http://eao.uncc.edu/radonhistory.htm
http://ie.lbl.gov/education/parent/Rn_iso.htm
http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/P-T/Radon.html
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Radon_-_Applications/id/4698896
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