A noble gas is a non-reactive, monatomic gas that is located on the far right edge of the periodic table. Noble gases include argon, helium, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, and unonoctium. Helium is the most common of the noble gases and argon is the most common on Earth, making up approximately one percent of the planet’s atmosphere. Helium is found throughout the universe, including on the Earth, and is also found in large quantities in underground reserves.

Noble Gas Uses

Noble gases are used when an inert atmosphere is required to conduct work or there is a process that cannot react with the air in its natural state. One example is the argon used in light bulbs to provide an inert atmosphere for the tungsten filament to work in. Neon is used in lighting applications and krypton is relied on for laser work.

Helium Uses

Helium is one of the most widely used noble gases and is considered one of the most versatile. It has a wide range of uses, such as cooling superconductors and in hot air balloons. Helium has a very low boiling point, just above absolute zero, and can be used as a coolant when liquid nitrogen is not suitable for the task.

Why do Noble Gases have Low Reactivity?

Noble gases have a very low reactivity because they have full valence electron shells. That is to say, the noble gases’ outer electron shells cannot hold additional electrons, which makes their electronegativity negligible and their propensity for chemical bonding nonexistent. Krypton, Xenon, and Radon can form compounds in laboratory conditions, but are not considered stable. Helium also reacts with other gases to obtain an octet structure.