Sulfur: Research Paper by Brian Zhang 805
If you ever happened to unnerve a grumpy skunk, then you would have understood the severe atrocity of its scent firsthand. What you probably didn't realize, however, concerns the fact that sulfur holds much blame for the nasty occurrence. In fact, this mother of repulsive odors earns its spot on the periodic table as one of the world's 118 chemical elements, or substances that contain only one type of atom. Much like any other non-metal, it does not retain the typical physical and chemical properties of metals, such as luster. The tenth most abundant element in the universe, sulfur additionally sports a multitude of unique characteristics- some even establishing it as an essential ingredient in the production of gasoline. Such undertakings, however, are by no means beneficial to the natural environment, as they flood the world's atmosphere with dangerous levels of air pollution. There is no question to the statement that chemical elements define the building blocks of all matter. …show more content…
This specific category retains qualities almost opposite that of metals- elements characterized mostly by luster and a solid structure. For instance, nonmetals usually take the form of brittle solids or gases in room temperature and are generally rather poor conductors of thermal energy (heat) and electricity. They furthermore possess lower densities, boiling and melting points than metals. There may be certain rule-breakers, however, including carbon, which is a relatively good conductor of electricity. Yet, it retains all other properties associated with nonmetals aside from that single difference. Opposed to metals, nonmetals are additionally nonmalleable, or resistant to shattering, and non-ductile, meaning they cannot be drawn into thin
If you ever happened to unnerve a grumpy skunk, then you would have understood the severe atrocity of its scent firsthand. What you probably didn't realize, however, concerns the fact that sulfur holds much blame for the nasty occurrence. In fact, this mother of repulsive odors earns its spot on the periodic table as one of the world's 118 chemical elements, or substances that contain only one type of atom. Much like any other non-metal, it does not retain the typical physical and chemical properties of metals, such as luster. The tenth most abundant element in the universe, sulfur additionally sports a multitude of unique characteristics- some even establishing it as an essential ingredient in the production of gasoline. Such undertakings, however, are by no means beneficial to the natural environment, as they flood the world's atmosphere with dangerous levels of air pollution. There is no question to the statement that chemical elements define the building blocks of all matter. …show more content…
This specific category retains qualities almost opposite that of metals- elements characterized mostly by luster and a solid structure. For instance, nonmetals usually take the form of brittle solids or gases in room temperature and are generally rather poor conductors of thermal energy (heat) and electricity. They furthermore possess lower densities, boiling and melting points than metals. There may be certain rule-breakers, however, including carbon, which is a relatively good conductor of electricity. Yet, it retains all other properties associated with nonmetals aside from that single difference. Opposed to metals, nonmetals are additionally nonmalleable, or resistant to shattering, and non-ductile, meaning they cannot be drawn into thin