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sulfur

sulfur or sulphur (sŭl'fur) [key], nonmetallic chemical element; symbol S; at. no. 16; at. wt. 32.06; m.p. 112.8°C (rhombic), 119.0°C (monoclinic), about 120°C (amorphous); b.p. 444.674°C; sp. gr. at 20°C, 2.07 (rhombic), 1.957 (monoclinic), 1.92 (amorphous); valence -2, +4, or +6. Sulfur was known to the ancients; it is the brimstone of the Bible. It was first recognized as an element in 1777 by A. L. Lavoisier.

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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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