Noble gases
Noble gases
Noble gases (pronunciation: /ˈnoʊbəl ˈɡæsɪz/) are a group of chemical elements with similar properties under standard conditions. They are odorless, colorless, monatomic gases with very low chemical reactivity. The six naturally occurring noble gases are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and the radioactive radon (Rn).
Etymology
The term "noble gas" is translated from the German noun Edelgas, first used in 1898 by Hugo Erdmann to indicate their extremely low level of reactivity. The name makes an analogy to the term "noble metals", which also have low reactivity.
Properties
Noble gases are typically highly unreactive except when under particular extreme conditions. The inertness of noble gases makes them very suitable in applications where reactions are not wanted. For example, argon is used in lightbulbs to prevent the hot tungsten filament from oxidizing; also, helium is breathed by deep-sea divers to prevent oxygen and nitrogen toxicity.
Related Terms
- Helium: The lightest of the noble gases.
- Neon: A noble gas that is widely used in neon advertising signs.
- Argon: A noble gas that is the third-most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere.
- Krypton: A noble gas that is notable for its bright green and orange spectral lines.
- Xenon: A noble gas that is used in certain types of photographic flashes and in the manufacture of some types of lasers.
- Radon: A radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Noble gases
- Wikipedia's article - Noble gases
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski