| Group | 18 | Melting point | -157.36 oC, -251.248 oF, 115.79 K |
| Period | 4 | Boiling point | -153.415 oC, -244.147 oF, 119.735 K |
| Block | p | Density (kg m-3) | 3000 (85 K) |
| Atomic number | 36 | Relative atomic mass | 83.798 |
| State at room temperature | Gas | Key isotopes | 84Kr |
| Electron configuration | [Ar] 3d104s24p6 | CAS number | 7439-90-9 |
| ChemSpider ID | 5223 | ChemSpider is a free chemical structure database | |
Image explanation
The symbol represents the isotope Krypton 86 and the gaseous nature of the element.
Appearance
A colourless, odourless gas that is inert to everything but fluorine gas. The isotope krypton 86 has a line in its atomic spectrum that is now the standard measure of length : 1 metre is defined as exactly 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of this line. Krypton is one of the rarest gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, accounting for only 1 part per million by volume.
Uses
Krypton is used commercially as a low-pressure filling gas for fluorescent lights. It is also used in certain photographic flash lamps for high-speed photography. Radioactive krypton was used to estimate Soviet nuclear production. The gas is a product of all nuclear reactors, so the Russian share was found by subtracting the amount that comes from Western reactors from the total in the air. The isotope krypton-86 has a line in its atomic spectrum that is now the standard measure of length : 1 metre is defined as exactly 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of this line.
Biological role
Krypton has no known biological role.
Natural abundance
Krypton is obtained by distillation from liquid air despite being one of the rarest gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, accounting for only 1 part per million by volume.
| Atomic radius, non-bonded (Å) | 2.020 | Covalent radius (Å) | 1.16 |
| Electron affinity (kJ mol-1) | Not stable |
Electronegativity (Pauling scale) |
Unknown |
|
Ionisation energies (kJ mol-1) |
1st
1350.756
2nd
2350.365
3rd
3565.130
4th
5065.476
5th
6242.596
6th
7574.093
7th
10709.864
8th
12138.038
|
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| Common oxidation states | 2 | ||||
| Isotopes | Isotope | Atomic mass | Natural abundance (%) | Half life | Mode of decay |
| 78Kr | 77.92 | 0.355 | - | - | |
| 80Kr | 79.916 | 2.286 | > 1.5 x 1021 y | EC-EC | |
| 82Kr | 81.913 | 11.593 | - | - | |
| 83Kr | 82.914 | 11.5 | - | - | |
| 84Kr | 83.912 | 56.987 | - | - | |
| 86Kr | 85.911 | 17.279 | - | - | |
|
Molar heat capacity (J mol-1 K-1) |
20.786 | Young's modulus (GPa) | Unknown | |||||||||||
| Shear modulus (GPa) | Unknown | Bulk modulus (GPa) | Unknown | |||||||||||
| Vapour pressure | ||||||||||||||
| Temperature (K) |
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| Pressure (Pa) |
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Videos of the elements. Additional videos will be coming in 2012.
Images: Visual Elements © Murray Robertson 2011
Mining and Sourcing data: British Geological Survey – natural environment research council.
Text: John Emsley Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 2011.
Data: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC Press, 92nd Edition, 2011.
G. W. C. Kaye and T. H. Laby Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants, Longman, 16th Edition, 1995.
Members of the RSC can access these books through our library.
Mining and Sourcing data: British Geological Survey – natural environment research council.
Text: John Emsley Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 2011.
Data: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC Press, 92nd Edition, 2011.
G. W. C. Kaye and T. H. Laby Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants, Longman, 16th Edition, 1995.
Members of the RSC can access these books through our library.
