Answer to Question #25702 in Inorganic Chemistry for DMunna

Question

This element has a very simple structure and two liquid states each with different physical properties. What is this element?

Answer 1

The two liquid allotropes are called λ-sulfur andμ-sulfur. At temperatures close to the melting point the proportion of λ-sulfur is quite high, but as the temperature rises more and more of the λ-form changes into μ-sulfur. The molecules of both forms contain eight atoms arranged in a ring, which ruptures on heating to yield chains still containing eight atoms. The increase in viscosity at 180 °C is attributed to their interaction between these chains.This element is Sulfur.