Noble Gases

The Noble Gases

• The group of elements located on the far right of the Periodic Table are termed noble gases, also known as Group 0 or Group 8.
• Noble gases include helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.
• They are named ‘noble’ due to their low reactivity, similar to noble metals like gold and platinum which are similarly unreactive.

Electronic Configuration

• All noble gases have full outer shells of electrons, leading to their low reactivity.
• A full outer shell is stable and does not easily gain or lose electrons, hence the unreactive nature of these elements.

Physical Properties

• Noble gases are all colourless, tasteless, and odourless gases at room temperature.
• They are poor conductors of heat and electricity because they lack free electrons.
• Noble gases have low boiling and melting points, as they exist as individual atoms (monatomic) and weak van der Waals forces exist between these atoms.
• The boiling and melting points increase down the group due to an increase in the strength of van der Waals forces as the size of the atoms increases.

Chemical Properties

• Due to having a full outer shell of electrons, noble gases show low reactivity.
• They don’t readily form compounds with other elements.
• Argon is used in light bulbs due to its unreactivity.

Uses of Noble Gases

• Due to their inert nature, noble gases are used in situations where reactions are not desired.
• Helium is used in balloons and airships as it is lighter than air.
• Neon is used for advertising signs as it glows brightly when electricity is passed through it.
• Argon is often used in light bulbs and fluorescent tubes where a non-reactive environment is needed.
• Krypton and xenon are used in lighting and lasers.