Rare Gases - Discovery And Isolation, Properties, Abundance And Production, Uses
atmosphere
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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Helium was the first of the rare gases to be discovered. In fact, its discovery is unique among the elements since it is the only element to be first identified in another part of the solar system before being discovered on Earth. In 1868 Pierre Janssen (1824-1907), a French astronomer, was observing a total solar eclipse from India. Janssen used an instrument called a spectroscope to analyze the …
The rare gases form group 18 of the periodic table of elements. This is the vertical column of elements on the extreme right of the Periodic table. As with other groups of elements, the placement of all the rare gases in the same group reflects their similar properties. The rare gases are all colorless, odorless, and tasteless. They are also monatomic gases which means that they exist as individua…
Most of the rare gases have been detected in small amounts in earth minerals and in meteorites, but are found in greater abundance in the earth's atmosphere. They are thought to have been released into the atmosphere long ago as by-products of the decay of radioactive elements in the earth's crust. Of all the rare gases, argon is present in the greatest amount, about 0.9% by volume. …
The properties of each rare gas dictate its specific commercial applications. Because they are the most abundant, and therefore the least expensive to produce, helium and argon find the most commercial applications. Helium's low density and inertness make it ideal for use in lighter-than-air craft, such as balloons and blimps. Although helium has nearly twice the density of hydrogen, it has…
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