Noble gases
The unreactive gases of group 0, such as helium, neon and argon. Their outer shells are full, so they hardly ever form bonds.
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Analogy
They are like people with a full plate who want no more food.
In practice
Helium fills balloons safely because it will not burn. Argon fills light bulbs to protect the hot filament.
Practice
Flashcards
- Why are noble gases unreactive?They have full outer electron shells.
Questions people ask
Why are noble gases called inert?
Inert means they do not take part in chemical reactions. Their outer shells are already full, so they have no need to gain, lose or share electrons. Under normal conditions they exist as single atoms rather than molecules. Helium, neon and argon rarely form compounds.
What happens to the boiling point of noble gases down the group?
It rises. Helium boils at a very low temperature, around minus 269 degrees Celsius, while argon boils at about minus 186. Larger atoms have stronger forces between them, so more energy is needed to turn the liquid into gas. This trend is the same for all the noble gases.