Noble Gases

•The noble gases all have stable electron configurations. • They behave just like noble people - they do not react at all, whatever you do. •They got their name 'noble' because they don't like to mix or relate to other elements and so were seldom found in compounds.

Fr Ra Ac Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I

K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl

Li Be B C N O F

H

Rn

Xe

Kr

Ar

Ne

He

Rn

Xe

Kr

Ar

Ne

HeThe Noble Gases (Group 18) are located in the far right of the periodic table.

General properties of noble gases

All noble gases are colourless, odourless and unreactive. This makes them difficult to isolate and identify.

Because noble gases are so unreactive, there are few patterns, or trends, among the group.

The noble gases have the following properties in common:-they are non-metals-they are very unreactive gases-they are colourless-they exist as single atoms (they are monatomic)

The Noble Gasses•Comes from Greek helios meaning ‘the sun’•Emits purple-orange light•Second lightest and second most abundant element in the universe.•Lowest boiling and melting point of any element.

The Noble Gasses•Means ‘new’ in Greek•Most intense light discharge of all noble gases.•Emits bright red color

The Noble Gasses

•Comes from Greek argos meaning lazy, due to not reacting at all with other elements•Emits blue-green light•Third most common element in Earth’s atmosphere

The Noble Gasses•Comes from Greek kryptos meaning ‘hidden’•Emits light orange-white color•Length of a meter was once based on light emitted from excited Krypton atoms

The Noble Gasses•Means ‘stranger’ in Greek.•Xenon emits a blue glow when excited by an electrical discharge.•Considered safe but still risky, as it has the potential to cause asphyxiation (suffocation ) if too much is inhaled.

The Noble Gasses•Named after radium, as it is radioactive•Emits phosphorescent (glow in the dark) yellow only when cooled to extreme temperatures•Heaviest of all noble gases and one of the heaviest gases at room temperature•Once used for medical purposes, stopped when revealed it was radioactive

Density

Boiling point

USES OF HELIUM The gas for inflating balloons

and airships, because it is less dense than air and inflammable.

A protective gas for growing silicon crystals in silicon chip manufacture, because it is unreactive.

A component of breathing gas (with oxygen) for deep-sea divers, because it is unreactive, insoluble and prevents divers getting ‘the bends’.

In ‘neon’ advertising signs, because it glows red when an electric current is passed through it.

Used In TV tubes.

Used In certain types of lasers.

USES OF NEON

USES OF argonIn normal light bulbs, because it is unreactive and

prevents the tungsten filament from burning.

Used In energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs.

Used as a ‘gas blanket’ for arc welding, because it is unreactive and prevents the hot welding metal from oxidizing.

USES OF OTHER NOBLE GASSES

KryptonIn lasers for eye surgery, to stop bleeding on the retina.

In lighthouses and other types of lamps.

XenonIn various types of electron tubes, lamps and lasers.

RadonTo treat cancer by radiotherapy, because it is

radioactive.