Group 0

• Group 0, also known as the Noble Gases, are located on the far right of the Periodic Table.
• This group includes helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn).
• Noble gases are colorless, tasteless, and odorless. They are monoatomic gases under standard conditions.
• They have full outer electron shells, meaning they have maximum number of electrons possible in their outer shell. This makes them very stable and unreactive.
• Due to their low reactivity, Noble gases do not readily form compounds. The first Noble gas compound was not discovered until 1962.
• Noble gases have low boiling and melting points, which increase as you move down the group. This is due to an increase in the number of electrons, which leads to stronger van der Waals forces.
• They are used in various applications due to their unique properties. For instance, helium is used in balloons, neon in neon lights, argon in light bulbs, and xenon in flash lamps.
• Radon is the only radioactive Noble gas. It is produced naturally in the environment, but can pose health risks if concentrations become too high.
• A key way to remember the reactivity of Group 0 elements is to remember that ‘Noble means nonreactive’.