Radon
🏠 In Your World
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is intensely radioactive. Unlike other noble gases, it has no commercial applications due to its short half-life and radioactivity. Its main significance is as a health hazard. Radon is produced from the natural decay of uranium in soil and rock. It can seep into basements and buildings, and inhaling it is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
📖 The Discovery Story
Radon was discovered in 1900 by German physicist Friedrich Ernst Dorn. He noticed that radium compounds emitted a radioactive gas, which he called "radium emanation." In 1908, William Ramsay and Robert Whytlaw-Gray isolated the gas, determined its density, and named it "niton" (from the Latin nitens, meaning "shining"). The name was changed to "radon" in 1923.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Gas |
| Melting Point | -71 °C / -96 °F |
| Boiling Point | -61.7 °C / -79.1 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f¹⁴5d¹⁰6s²6p⁶ |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | Trace amounts |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Radon is a highly radioactive and carcinogenic gas. It is a significant environmental and health risk, particularly indoors where it can accumulate to dangerous levels. Testing homes for radon is recommended in many regions. Because it is a gas, its radioactive decay products can be inhaled and lodge in the lungs, causing damage that leads to cancer.