What is Radon?
''Radon'' is a chemical element in the periodic table. It is element 86 on the [[periodic table]] and its symbol is '''Rn'''. It is an odorless, tasteless noble gas. It is quite radioactive and can decay very quickly. 27 [[Isotope|isotopes]] of Radon are known today. The most stable of them has a [[Half-life (element)|half life]] of about 3.8 days. == Chemistry == Radon is a [[gas]] and is part of the group known as the [[noble gas]]es. It does not react with other elements, so it is found pure. Radon is [[radioactive]], meaning that it can give off harmful rays. Some people have high levels of radon in their houses, and this can be very dangerous. A lot of radon can get stuck in the basement of old houses, and so people end up breathing it in. It gets stuck in the [[lung]]s and has been known to cause [[cancer]]. There are groups that try to make sure there is no dangerous radon in houses. It can occur naturally on the Earth but is a very small amount. As elements like Thorium and Uranium decay, some of that gets turned into Radon. Radon can cause lung cancer and is the second most popular cause of lung cancer straight after smoking. == History == Radon was the fifth radioactive element to be discovered, in 1899 by Ernest Rutherford and Robert B. Owens at McGill University in Montreal, after uranium, thorium, radium, and polonium. In 1899, Pierre and Marie Curie saw that the gas given off by radium remained radioactive for a month. Later that year, Rutherford and Owens noticed different types of them when trying to measure radiation from thorium oxide. == Uses == It is sometimes used in radiation therapy. However, it is very dangerous to use.[[Image:Electron shell 086 Radon.svg|left|thumb|An electron shell diagram for radon. Note the [[octet rule|eight electrons]] in the [[valence shell|outer shell]].]] {{Infobox radon}} ==Related pages== *[[List of common elements]] *[[Periodic table]] == References == {{reflist}} {{Periodic Table}} {{chem-stub}} [[Category:Noble gases]] [[Category:Carcinogens]