Sulfur (S)

Sulfur facts

Symbol

S

Atomic number

16

Atomic mass

32.06

Family

Nonmetals

Period

3

Group

16

Famous reactions with sulfur

• A blue flame! Sulfur burnsSulfur dioxide S + O₂ → SO₂ · With a spark or a flame · Try it
• A super-heavy gas! Sulfur meets FluorineSulfur hexafluoride S + 3F₂ → SF₆ · At room temperature · Try it
• Glowing hot! Iron meets SulfurIron(II) sulfide Fe + S → FeS · When heated · Try it
• WHOOSH! Zinc meets SulfurZinc sulfide Zn + S → ZnS · With a spark or a flame · Try it
• Tarnished! Silver meets SulfurSilver sulfide (tarnish) 2Ag + S → Ag₂S · At room temperature · Try it
• Trapped! Mercury meets SulfurMercury sulfide (cinnabar) Hg + S → HgS · When ground together · Try it

What does sulfur react with?

Sulfur makes a new substance with 66 other elements and chemicals in our lab:

• Sulfur + HydrogenHydrogen sulfide H₂ + S → H₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + LithiumLithium sulfide 2Li + S → Li₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + BerylliumBeryllium sulfide Be + S → BeS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + BoronBoron trisulfide 2B + 3S → B₂S₃ · Only when heated very strongly · Try it
• Sulfur + CarbonCarbon disulfide C + 2S → CS₂ · Only when heated very strongly · Try it
• Sulfur + SodiumSodium sulfide 2Na + S → Na₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + MagnesiumMagnesium sulfide Mg + S → MgS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + AluminiumAluminium sulfide 2Al + 3S → Al₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + SiliconSilicon disulfide Si + 2S → SiS₂ · Only when heated very strongly · Try it
• Sulfur + PhosphorusTetraphosphorus trisulfide 4P + 3S → P₄S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ChlorineDisulfur dichloride 2S + Cl₂ → S₂Cl₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + PotassiumPotassium sulfide 2K + S → K₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + CalciumCalcium sulfide Ca + S → CaS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ScandiumScandium sulfide 2Sc + 3S → Sc₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + TitaniumTitanium(IV) sulfide Ti + 2S → TiS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ChromiumChromium(III) sulfide 2Cr + 3S → Cr₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ManganeseManganese(II) sulfide Mn + S → MnS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + CobaltCobalt(II) sulfide Co + S → CoS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + NickelNickel(II) sulfide Ni + S → NiS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + CopperCopper(I) sulfide 2Cu + S → Cu₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + GalliumGallium sulfide 2Ga + 3S → Ga₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + GermaniumGermanium sulfide Ge + 2S → GeS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ArsenicArsenic trisulfide (orpiment) 2As + 3S → As₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + BromineDisulfur dibromide 2S + Br₂ → S₂Br₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + RubidiumRubidium sulfide 2Rb + S → Rb₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + StrontiumStrontium sulfide Sr + S → SrS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + YttriumYttrium sulfide 2Y + 3S → Y₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ZirconiumZirconium sulfide Zr + 2S → ZrS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + NiobiumNiobium sulfide Nb + 2S → NbS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + MolybdenumMolybdenum disulfide Mo + 2S → MoS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + RutheniumRuthenium(IV) sulfide Ru + 2S → RuS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + RhodiumRhodium sulfide 2Rh + 3S → Rh₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + PalladiumPalladium(II) sulfide Pd + S → PdS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + CadmiumCadmium sulfide Cd + S → CdS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + IndiumIndium sulfide 2In + 3S → In₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + TinTin(II) sulfide Sn + S → SnS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + AntimonyAntimony trisulfide (stibnite) 2Sb + 3S → Sb₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + CaesiumCaesium sulfide 2Cs + S → Cs₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + BariumBarium sulfide Ba + S → BaS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + LanthanumLanthanum sulfide 2La + 3S → La₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + CeriumCerium(III) sulfide 2Ce + 3S → Ce₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + PraseodymiumPraseodymium sulfide 2Pr + 3S → Pr₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + NeodymiumNeodymium sulfide 2Nd + 3S → Nd₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + SamariumSamarium(III) sulfide 2Sm + 3S → Sm₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + EuropiumEuropium(II) sulfide Eu + S → EuS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + GadoliniumGadolinium sulfide 2Gd + 3S → Gd₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + TerbiumTerbium sulfide 2Tb + 3S → Tb₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + DysprosiumDysprosium sulfide 2Dy + 3S → Dy₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + HolmiumHolmium sulfide 2Ho + 3S → Ho₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ErbiumErbium sulfide 2Er + 3S → Er₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ThuliumThulium sulfide 2Tm + 3S → Tm₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + YtterbiumYtterbium(III) sulfide 2Yb + 3S → Yb₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + LutetiumLutetium sulfide 2Lu + 3S → Lu₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + HafniumHafnium sulfide Hf + 2S → HfS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + TantalumTantalum sulfide Ta + 2S → TaS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + TungstenTungsten(IV) sulfide W + 2S → WS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + RheniumRhenium(IV) sulfide Re + 2S → ReS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + OsmiumOsmium(IV) sulfide Os + 2S → OsS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + IridiumIridium(IV) sulfide Ir + 2S → IrS₂ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + PlatinumPlatinum(II) sulfide Pt + S → PtS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + ThalliumThallium(I) sulfide 2Tl + S → Tl₂S · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + LeadLead(II) sulfide (galena) Pb + S → PbS · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + BismuthBismuth(III) sulfide 2Bi + 3S → Bi₂S₃ · When heated · Try it
• Sulfur + RadiumRadium sulfide Ra + S → RaS · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Sulfur + ThoriumThorium sulfide Th + 2S → ThS₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Sulfur + UraniumUranium(IV) sulfide U + 2S → US₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it

Nothing happens when it's simply mixed with 26 of the others. 21 pairings have never been tried, because not enough atoms have ever existed.