The
noble gases are a group of
chemical elements which share a high degree of similarity in their properties: under standard conditions, they are all odorless, colorless,
monatomic gases, with a very low
chemical reactivity. They are placed in group 18 of the
periodic table. The six noble gases that occur naturally are
helium (He),
neon (Ne),
argon (Ar),
krypton (Kr),
xenon (Xe), and the radioactive
radon (Rn). So far, three atoms of the next member of the group,
ununoctium (Uuo) have been
synthesized in a
supercollider, but very little is known of its properties due to the tiny amount produced and its short
half-life. The properties of the noble gases can be well explained by modern theories of
atomic structure: their
outer shell of
valence electrons is considered to be "full", giving them little tendency to participate in chemical reactions, and only a few hundred noble gas
compounds have been prepared as of 2008. Noble gases have several important applications in industries such as lighting, welding, and space exploration. Helium is often used in scuba diving to replace part of the breathing mixture. After the risks caused by the flammability of
hydrogen became apparent, it was replaced with helium in blimps and balloons. (
more...)</div>
Recently featured:
Ryan White –
Peterloo Massacre –
Pygmy Hippopotamus
More...
08-18-2008, 02:00 AM
August 18, 2008: Noble gases
