Editing Sulfur (section)

===Chemical properties===
Under normal conditions, sulfur [[hydrolysis|hydrolyzes]] very slowly to mainly form [[hydrogen sulfide]] and [[sulfuric acid]]:

{{block indent|{{fraction|2}} {{chem|S|8}} + 4 {{chem|H|2|O}} → 3 {{chem|H|2|S}} + {{chem|H|2|SO|4|}}}}

{{multiple image|left|perrow = 1|total_width=100|align = left
| image1 = Liquid hydrogen sulfide.png
| image2 = Sulphuric acid 96 percent extra pure.jpg
| footer = Left: Liquid hydrogen sulfide inside a test tube. Right: A bottle of sulfuric acid.}}

The reaction involves adsorption of protons onto {{chem|S|8}} clusters, followed by [[disproportionation]] into the reaction products.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Maldonado-Zagal |first1=S. B. |last2=Boden |first2=P. J. |title=Hydrolysis of Elemental Sulphur in Water and its Effect on the Corrosion of Mild Steel |journal=British Corrosion Journal |date=1 January 1982 |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=116–120 |doi=10.1179/000705982798274336 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/000705982798274336 |access-date=23 June 2022 |issn=0007-0599}}</ref>

The second, fourth and sixth [[Molar ionization energies of the elements|ionization energies]] of sulfur are 2252&nbsp;kJ/mol, 4556&nbsp;kJ/mol and 8495.8&nbsp;kJ/mol, respectively. The composition of reaction products of sulfur with oxidants (and its oxidation state) depends on whether releasing of reaction energy overcomes these thresholds. Applying [[Catalysis|catalysts]] and/or [[Endothermic process|supply of external energy]] may vary sulfur's oxidation state and the composition of reaction products. While reaction between sulfur and oxygen under normal conditions gives sulfur dioxide (oxidation state +4), formation of [[sulfur trioxide]] (oxidation state +6) requires a temperature of {{cvt|400|–|600|°C|sigfig=2}} and presence of a catalyst.

In reactions with elements of lesser [[electronegativity]], it reacts as an oxidant and forms sulfides, where it has oxidation state −2.

Sulfur reacts with nearly all other elements except noble gases, even with the notoriously unreactive metal [[iridium]] (yielding [[iridium disulfide]]).<ref name="Munson-1968">{{cite journal
| url= https://htracyhall.org/ocr/HTH-Archives/Cabinet%208/Drawer%203%20(MATI%20-%20MOZ)/(Munson,%20R.A.)%20(Muntoni,%20C.)%20(Murase,%20K.)%20(linked)/(Munson,%20R.A.)%20(Muntoni,%20C.)%20(Murase,%20K.)-237_OCR.pdf
| author-last= Munson
| author-first= Ronald A.
| date= February 1968
| title= The synthesis of iridium disulfide and nickel diarsenide having the pyrite structure
| journal= Inorganic Chemistry
| volume= 7
| number= 2
| pages= 389–390
| doi= 10.1021/ic50060a047
| access-date= 19 January 2019
| archive-date= 12 April 2019
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190412090001/https://htracyhall.org/ocr/HTH-Archives/Cabinet%208/Drawer%203%20(MATI%20-%20MOZ)/(Munson,%20R.A.)%20(Muntoni,%20C.)%20(Murase,%20K.)%20(linked)/(Munson,%20R.A.)%20(Muntoni,%20C.)%20(Murase,%20K.)-237_OCR.pdf
| url-status= dead
}}</ref> Some of those reactions require elevated temperatures.<ref name="Wiberg-2001">{{cite book|author1=Egon Wiberg|author2=Nils Wiberg|title=Inorganic Chemistry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mtth5g59dEIC&pg=PA513|year=2001|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-352651-9|pages=513–}}</ref>