Sulfur vs Chlorine

Side-by-side comparison of Sulfur (S, element 16) and Chlorine (Cl, element 17) by atomic structure and physical properties.

← Back to Periodic Table
PropertyS Sulfur Cl Chlorine
Atomic number1617
SymbolSCl
NameSulfurChlorine
Categorynonmetalhalogen
Standard Atomic Weight32.0675 u35.4515 u
Period33
Group1617
Blockpp
Phase at STPSolidGas
Electron configuration[Ne]3s23p4[Ne]3s23p5
Oxidation states[-2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6][-1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Electronegativity (Pauling)2.583.16
Electron affinity2.0771 eV3.6127 eV
Density2067 kg/m³3.214 kg/m³
Melting point115.21 °C-101.5 °C
Boiling point444.6 °C-34.04 °C
Discovery year17771774

Key Differences

PropertyS SulfurCl Chlorine
Standard Atomic Weight32.0675 u ↓ lower35.4515 u ↑ higher
Density2067 kg/m³ ↑ higher3.214 kg/m³ ↓ lower
Melting point115.21 °C ↑ higher-101.5 °C ↓ lower
Boiling point444.6 °C ↑ higher-34.04 °C ↓ lower
Electronegativity (Pauling)2.58 ↓ lower3.16 ↑ higher
Electron affinity2.0771 eV ↓ lower3.6127 eV ↑ higher
Group16 17
Categorynonmetal halogen
Phase at STPSolid Gas
Electron configuration[Ne]3s23p4 [Ne]3s23p5
Discovery year1777 1774