The rare gases, also known as the noble gases, are a group of six gaseous elements found in small amounts in the atmosphere: helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn). Collectively they make up about one percent of the earth's atmosphere. They were discovered by scientists around the turn of the century and because they were so unreactive were initially called the inert gases.
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