Sulfur (S)
Element 16 · reactive nonmetal · group 16, period 3
Sulfur is element 16, a reactive nonmetal in group 16 and period 3. Its electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2 3p4. That leaves 6 valence electrons in the outer shell, with the shells filling 2, 8, 6. It is 2 electrons short of a full octet, so it gains them and carries a charge of -2.
- 16 protons
- 6 valence e−
- -2
- p-block
Sulfur Lewis dot structure
Sulfur has 6 valence electrons, so its Lewis symbol carries 6 dots: two pairs and two single dots. The dots go one to a side before any of them pair up, so the unpaired ones show exactly how many bonds the atom tends to form. The ion has gained 2 more to fill its shell, so all 8 are drawn as pairs.
Draw it in the Lewis structure generator →
Properties
| Atomic number | 16 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | S |
| Standard atomic weight | 32.06 u |
| Group | 16 |
| Period | 3 |
| Block | p-block |
| Category | reactive nonmetal |
| Electron configuration | 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4 |
| Noble-gas notation | [Ne] 3s2 3p4 |
| Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 6 |
| Valence electrons | 6 |
| Common ionic charge | -2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.58 |
| Protons / electrons | 16 / 16 |
Electron configuration of sulfur
Orbitals fill from the lowest energy upward. Writing that out for sulfur gives 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4, which is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4 in plain text.
Everything up to Ne is the same as in that noble gas, so it is usually abbreviated to [Ne] 3s2 3p4. The part outside the bracket is what does the chemistry.
| Subshell | Electrons | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1s | 2 | 2 |
| 2s | 2 | 2 |
| 2p | 6 | 6 |
| 3s | 2 | 2 |
| 3p | 4 | 6 |
Sulfur ion charge
Sulfur commonly forms ions with a charge of -2.
It has 6 valence electrons, so it is 2 short of a full octet and 6 above an empty outer shell. An atom takes whichever route is shorter, which is why the charge comes out as it does.
Common questions
What is the Lewis dot structure of sulfur?
The symbol S with 6 dots, one for each valence electron: two pairs and two single dots. Dots go one to a side before any pair up, the same way electrons fill separate orbitals before sharing one. The S2- ion is drawn in brackets with all eight, because it has gained 2.
How many valence electrons does sulfur have?
Sulfur has 6 valence electrons. For a main-group element the count is the group number minus 10, and sulfur is in group 16.
What is the electron configuration of sulfur?
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4, or [Ne] 3s2 3p4 written from the previous noble gas. Orbitals fill lowest energy first.
What is the charge of sulfur?
Sulfur commonly forms ions with a charge of -2. With 6 valence electrons it is 2 short of an octet and 6 above an empty shell, so it takes whichever route is shorter.
How many protons, electrons and neutrons does sulfur have?
A neutral sulfur atom has 16 protons and 16 electrons. Its standard atomic weight is 32.06, so the most common isotope has about 16 neutrons.
Sulfur in Lewis structures
What the configuration above means in practice. Sulfur brings 6 valence electrons to each of these, and the working on every one of them starts by counting exactly that.
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