Facts About the Element Krypton

Krypton's Chemical and Physical Properties

Krypton Kr Periodic Table

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Krypton Basic Facts

  • Atomic Number: 36
  • Symbol: Kr
  • Atomic Weight: 83.80
  • Discovery: Sir William Ramsey, M.W. Travers, 1898 (Great Britain)
  • Electron Configuration: [Ar] 4s2 3d10 4p6
  • Word Origin: Greek kryptos: hidden
  • Isotopes: There are 30 known isotopes of krypton ranging from Kr-69 to Kr-100. There are 6 stable isotopes: Kr-78 (0.35% abundance), Kr-80 (2.28% abundance), Kr-82 (11.58% abundance), Kr-83 (11.49% abundance), Kr-84 (57.00% abundance), and Kr-86 (17.30% abundance).
  • Element Classification: Inert Gas
  • Density: 3.09 g/cm3 (@4K - solid phase)
    2.155 g/mL (@-153°C - liquid phase)
    3.425 g/L (@25°C and 1 atm - gas phase)

Krypton Physical Data

Trivia

  • Sir William Ramsay was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the noble gasses, including Krypton.
  • The meter was defined in 1960 as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the 605.78-nanometer spectral line from Krypton-86. This standard was replaced in 1983.
  • Krypton is usually inert, but it can form molecules. The first krypton molecule, krypton difluoride (KrF2), was discovered in 1963.
  • Earth's atmosphere has approximately 1 part per million abundance of Krypton.
  • Krypton can be obtained by fractional distillation from air.
  • Light bulbs containing krypton gas can produce a bright white light useful for photography and runway lights.
  • Krypton is often used in gas and gas ion lasers.

Sources:

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001)
  • Crescent Chemical Company (2001)
  • Lange's Handbook of Chemistry (1952)
  • CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics (18th Ed.) International Atomic Energy Agency ENSDF database (Oct 2010)
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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Facts About the Element Krypton." ThoughtCo, Sep. 23, 2021, thoughtco.com/krypton-facts-606549. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, September 23). Facts About the Element Krypton. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/krypton-facts-606549 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Facts About the Element Krypton." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/krypton-facts-606549 (accessed March 29, 2024).