Radon (pronounced /ˈreɪdɒn/, RAY-don) is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of radium. It is one of the heaviest substances that remains a gas under normal conditions and is considered to be a health hazard due to its radioactivity. Its most stable isotope, Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Due to its high radioactivity, it ...
more
Radon (pronounced /ˈreɪdɒn/, RAY-don) is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of radium. It is one of the heaviest substances that remains a gas under normal conditions and is considered to be a health hazard due to its radioactivity. Its most stable isotope, Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Due to its high radioactivity, it has been less well-studied by chemists, but a few compounds are known.
Radon is formed as part of the normal radioactive decay chain of uranium. Uranium has been around since the earth was formed and its most common isotope has a very long half-life (4.5 billion years), which is the amount of time required for one-half of uranium to break down. Uranium, radium, and thus radon, will continue to exist indefinitely at about the same levels as they do now.
Radon is responsible for the majority of the mean public exposure to ionizing radiations. It...
less
