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Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only 222 Rn has a sufficiently long half-life (3.825 days) for it to be released from the soil and rock where it is generated.
27 wrz 2024 · radon (Rn), chemical element, a heavy radioactive gas of Group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table, generated by the radioactive decay of radium. (Radon was originally called radium emanation.) Radon is a colourless gas, 7.5 times heavier than air and more than 100 times heavier than hydrogen.
A radioactive element is one that gives off radiation and breaks down to form a different element. Radon is formed when heavier radioactive elements, like uranium and thorium, break down. In turn, radon breaks down to form lighter elements, such as lead and bismuth.
26 cze 2024 · Compounds: Though rare, radon can form compounds with highly electronegative elements, such as fluorine. Examples include radon difluoride (RnF2). These compounds are generally unstable and of significant interest in research. Isotopes: Radon has several isotopes, with Radon-222 being the most stable and common.
18 sie 2023 · Radon occurs naturally in significant quantities in three different chemical variations, or isotopes, but only two of these present a risk. Radon-222 — a product of Uranium-238 or Radium-226 decay — is the most dangerous one.
Radon results from the radioactive decay of radium in the soil, and it further decays to produce radioactive daughters including polonium and lead. Radon gas, along with decay products that can attach to dust and airborne particles, enters the lungs and decays, producing alpha and beta radiation that damages DNA and causes lung cancer.
1 sty 1984 · This chapter focuses on radon present in the environment and describes the radiological properties of the natural radon isotopes. The isotopes of radon and their short-lived daughters are important constituents of the natural radiation environment.
