Zinc sulfide facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Zinc sulfide is a chemical compound. Its chemical formula is ZnS. It contains zinc and sulfide ions.

Properties

Zinc sulfide is white when pure. It does not dissolve in water. It can burn at a high temperature to make sulfur dioxide and zinc oxide. It reacts with strong acids to make hydrogen sulfide.

Preparation

Zinc sulfide can be made by igniting a mixture of powdered zinc and sulfur. Another way of making it is to react hydrogen sulfide with a zinc compound.

Uses

Zinc sulfide is used to convert ultraviolet light to visible light. It can be doped with copper to make it glow in the dark.

Related pages

Images for kids

  • Sphalerite-unit-cell-3D-balls

    Sphalerite, the more common polymorph of zinc sulfide

  • Wurtzite-unit-cell-3D-balls

    Wurtzite, the less common polymorph of zinc sulfide

  • The reaction of zinc and sulfur

    Mixtures of zinc and sulfur react pyrotechnically, leaving behind zinc sulfide.


All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Zinc sulfide Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.