Helium is the second element on the periodic table, and the first element of Group-18. Helium is represented by the symbol “He”. Helium is not involved in chemical reactions or bond formation. Due to the high nuclear binding energy of helium-4 (per nucleon) in comparison to the three next elements after helium, its abundance is similar to that in the Sun and Jupiter. It is also a result of nuclear Fusion and Radioactive Decay.
Helium is an essential chemical element that has a wide range of uses in our modern world. It is the second lightest element and is the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen. Helium has many unique properties that make it useful for a variety of applications, from medical imaging to rocket fuel.
Helium’s low boiling point makes it ideal for cryogenic applications such as superconducting magnets and mri machines. It also has a high thermal conductivity which makes it useful for cooling equipment such as lasers and particle accelerators. Helium can also be used to create balloons, blimps, and other lighter-than-air craft as well as providing lift in airships and hot air balloons.
In addition to its industrial uses, helium has become increasingly important in scientific research. Its low atomic mass allows scientists to study particles with greater accuracy than heavier elements due to its low energy loss when interacting with other particles. Helium is also used to cool materials down to near absolute zero temperatures so they can be studied without interference from heat or radiation.
The importance of helium cannot be understated; it plays an essential role in modern life and continues to provide new opportunities for research and development around the world. With its unique properties, helium will continue to be an invaluable resource for years to come!
- Uses
- Helium Health Effects
- History
- Biological role
- Position of helium in the periodic table
- Helium Gas Properties
- Natural abundance
- What are the valence electrons in helium (He)?
- What number of electrons, protons and neutrons does a Helium (He) atom contain?
- How can you find the number of valence neutrons in a He helium atom?
- Calculating the number of electrons in Helium (He)
- You will need to conduct electron configuration of Helium (He)
- Calculate the total electrons and determine the valence shell
- Why is helium considered an inert gas?
- Why helium should be placed in group 18 of the periodic table
- What is the valency for helium (He)?
- 10 Helium Facts
- References:
Uses
Helium is most commonly used in medical applications such as mri scanners and cryogenic cooling systems. It is also used in welding operations due to its low boiling point and non-flammability. It’s also used in aerospace engineering for pressurizing rocket fuel tanks and providing lift for balloons and airships.
In addition to its medical and industrial uses, helium is also used for scientific research purposes such as spectroscopy studies, which help scientists understand the makeup of stars and planets. Helium is also a key component in nuclear fusion experiments which aim to create clean energy sources from hydrogen atoms.
Helium’s unique properties make it an essential resource for many industries today. Its low boiling point makes it ideal for cooling systems while its non-flammability makes it safe to use around flammable materials like gasoline or paint thinner. Its ability to provide lift makes it invaluable in aerospace engineering while providing a safe atmosphere free of oxygen when welding or performing other metalworking operations with combustible materials like steel or aluminum alloys.
The wide range of uses for helium demonstrate why this chemical element is so important today in both industry and scientific research alike. From medical applications to aerospace engineering, helium’s unique properties make it an invaluable resource that we rely on daily without even realizing it!
Helium Health Effects
Inhaling helium can be dangerous because it displaces oxygen in the lungs, leading to asphyxiation. It can also cause dizziness, nausea and a decrease in mental alertness due to its effects on oxygen levels in the brain. In addition, long-term exposure to helium gas may lead to anemia or nerve damage.
Helium is also flammable at high concentrations and may cause explosions when mixed with air or other gases. As such, extreme caution should be taken when handling helium tanks or balloons filled with helium gas.
Despite these potential risks, helium does have some positive health benefits as well. For example, using liquid helium for cooling purposes can help reduce inflammation and pain associated with certain medical conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. Additionally, inhaling small amounts of helium from balloons has been used as a treatment for asthma attacks by providing relief from shortness of breath due to bronchospasm.
atomic number | 2 |
---|---|
atomic weight | 4.002602 |
boiling point | −268.9 °C (−452 °F) |
melting point | none |
density (1 atm, 0 °C) | 0.1785 gram/litre |
oxidation state | 0 |
electron configuration | 1s2 |
History
Helium was first discovered in 1868 by french astronomer pierre janssen during a total solar eclipse. Janssen noticed a yellow line in the sun’s spectrum that he couldn’t identify, so he named it «helium» after helios, the greek god of the sun.
In 1895, british chemist sir william ramsay isolated helium on earth for the first time by liquefying air. Since then, helium has been used for a variety of purposes including deep sea diving and cooling superconducting magnets in mri machines.
The most common use of helium today is as a lifting gas in balloons since it is lighter than air. It can also be found in welding torches to create an inert atmosphere that prevents oxidation of metals being welded together.
Helium has also played an important role in space exploration due to its low boiling point and non-flammable properties — both attributes make it ideal for use as rocket fuel or to pressurize fuel tanks on spacecrafts. Additionally, because helium does not react with other elements or substances when exposed to extreme temperatures or pressures, it is often used to cool down nuclear reactors and high-energy particle accelerators such as those used at cern labs in switzerland.
As you can see from this brief overview of its history, helium plays an important role across many industries today — from healthcare to space exploration — making its discovery over 150 years ago truly remarkable!
Biological role
Helium is a colorless, odorless gas found in trace amounts in the atmosphere. It is also found in many minerals and rocks, as well as being produced by nuclear reactions. Helium is the second lightest element on the periodic table and has a number of unique properties that make it useful for various applications.
In nature, helium plays a crucial role in maintaining our atmosphere’s balance of gases and temperatures. For example, helium helps keep our planet warm by trapping heat from the sun and preventing it from escaping into space. Additionally, helium helps protect us against cosmic radiation by forming an invisible shield around earth that absorbs harmful particles before they can reach us.
Helium also has numerous medical uses due to its inert nature and ability to remain stable under pressure or extreme temperatures. In fact, doctors often use helium during mri scans because its low boiling point allows them to create an environment with higher pressure than normal air would provide without putting patients at risk of injury or discomfort from heat exposure.
Helium’s unique properties make it essential for many biological processes both on earth and beyond our planet’s atmosphere. Its importance to life on earth cannot be overstated; without this essential element, many life forms would not survive or function properly!
Position of helium in the periodic table
Helium Gas Properties
One of the most interesting things about helium is its low boiling point. It boils at −268°c, which is much lower than other gases like oxygen or nitrogen. This means that helium can be stored as a liquid at relatively low temperatures, making it useful for a variety of applications including cryogenics and cooling systems.
Another unique property of helium is its low viscosity. This means that helium can flow through pipes more easily than other gases, making it ideal for use in pressurized systems such as those found in deep-sea diving equipment or high-altitude balloons.
Helium also has an extremely low density compared to other gases, which makes it lighter than air and gives it buoyancy when used in balloons or blimps. Its lightness also makes it useful for filling airships to help them stay afloat longer without needing to be refueled as often.
Finally, helium has a very high atomic number which makes it highly resistant to chemical reactions with other elements — this makes it ideal for use in welding torches where a stable atmosphere must be maintained during the welding process.
It’s clear that helium is an incredibly versatile element with many fascinating gas properties that make it incredibly useful in a variety of applications ranging from deep-sea diving to welding torches and beyond!
Natural abundance
Helium has many uses, ranging from medical applications to industrial processes. In medicine, helium helps to cool mri machines and other medical equipment, as well as being used for breathing assistance for patients with respiratory problems. In industry, helium is used to create pressurized environments for welding and other manufacturing processes.
Helium can also be found naturally occurring in some areas of the world. It can be extracted from natural gas deposits or from underground reservoirs of natural gas that contain trace amounts of helium. The united states has some of the largest known reserves of helium and it is used extensively in both commercial and military applications throughout the country.
Helium’s abundance makes it an important resource for many industries around the world. Its properties make it ideal for a variety of uses, from medical applications to industrial processes and beyond. Helium’s natural abundance makes it an essential part of our modern lives, helping us keep our technology running smoothly and efficiently while providing us with many other benefits along the way!
What are the valence electrons in helium (He)?
The valence electron is the number of electrons found in the final shell of helium. The total number of electrons found in an element’s last shell after electron configuration is called. The element’s last shell contains the valence electrons. The inner orbital may contain the valence electrons from the transition elements.
The electron configuration of Helium shows that there are two electrons in its last shell (orbit). The valence electrons in helium therefore have two. This site has an article that explains the electron configuration for helium(He). You can read it if interested.
What number of electrons, protons and neutrons does a Helium (He) atom contain?
The nucleus can be found in the middle of an atom. The nucleus is home to protons and neutrons. The atomic number for helium (He) is 2. The number of protons is called the atomic number. This means that there are two protons in helium. The nucleus contains an electron shell that is equal to the protons. This means that a helium atom can have a total number of two electrons.
The difference between the number atoms and the number atomic masses is what determines the number neutrons in an element. This means that neutron number (n) = atomic mass (A) + atomic number (Z).
We know that the atomic numbers of helium are 2 and 4. Neutron (n) = 4 – 2 = 2. The number of neutrons found in Helium (He) is therefore 2.
Valence is the ability of an atom of a chemical element to form a certain number of chemical bonds with other atoms. It takes values from 1 to 8 and cannot be equal to 0. It is determined by the number of electrons of an atom spent to form chemical bonds with another atom. The valence is a real value. Numerical values of valence are indicated with roman numerals (I,II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII).
How can you find the number of valence neutrons in a He helium atom?
The valence electron is the sum of all electrons in an atom’s last shell (orbit). The valence electrons can be determined by knowing the number of electrons within the element’s last shell.
First, you need to know about the electron configuration of the element in order to determine the number of electrons present in the shell. This article provides some basic information about electron configuration. Click here for more information about electron configuration. To diagnose helium-valence electrons, there are a few steps.
Calculating the number of electrons in Helium (He)
First, you must know the number of electrons within the helium atom. This is done by knowing the atomic number for helium elements. The number of protons contained in an element’s atomic number is its atomic number.
That atom also contains electrons that are equal to protons. The periodic table shows that helium has an atomic number of two. This means that there are two electrons in the helium-atom.
The terms “oxidation degree” and “valence” may not be the same, but they are numerically almost identical. The conditional charge of an atom’s atom is called the oxidation state. It can be either positive or negative. Valence refers to the ability of an atom form bonds. It cannot have a negative value.
You will need to conduct electron configuration of Helium (He)
Important step 2 is. This step involves the arrangement of electrons in helium. Two electrons are required for helium atoms to exist. These two electrons are able to enter the first shell. The electron configuration for helium through sub-orbital radiation is 1s2.
Calculate the total electrons and determine the valence shell
The third step is to determine the number of electrons remaining in the shell. We already know that there are two electrons in the last orbit. The electron configuration shows that the first helium shell is the orbit and there are two electrons total. The valence electrons in helium therefore have two.
- The valence is a numerical characteristic of the ability of atoms of a given element to bond with other atoms.
- The valence of hydrogen is constant and equal to one.
- The valence of oxygen is also constant and equal to two.
- The valence of most of the other elements is not constant. It can be determined by the formulas of their binary compounds with hydrogen or oxygen.
Why is helium considered an inert gas?
Inert gases are elements that fall within the Group-18 section of the periodic table. Group-18’s inert gasses are neon(Ne), Helium(He), Argon(Ar), Krypton (Kr), xenon[Xe] and Radon(Rn). The element that makes up group-18 is helium (He), as we know. The electron configuration of Helium shows that the orbit at its end is full of electrons. Because the orbit at the end of helium contains electrons, helium doesn’t want to share or exchange any electrons.
Helium doesn’t form compounds, as it doesn’t share electrons. They are not involved in chemical bonds or chemical reactions. They are known as inert elements. At normal temperatures, the inert elements take the form of gases. Inert gases are used to describe inert elements.
Why helium should be placed in group 18 of the periodic table
The electron configuration for helium indicates that there are two electrons in each orbit of the Helium Atom. The number of electrons in an element’s last orbit is equal to the number number of elements in the element.
The group of Helium is therefore two, but helium can be considered an inert element. All inert elements are located in group number 18 of the periodic table. Helium is therefore placed in group-18, instead of group-2.
What is the valency for helium (He)?
Valency is the ability of an element’s atom to combine with another atom in order to form a compound. Helium is an inert elements.
The valency of Helium is therefore zero.
10 Helium Facts
- The atomic number for helium is 2. This means that each atom has two protons. The element with the highest number of neutrons has 2
- Helium is the second most reactive noble gas. It is the real gas that closely approximates the behavior a ideal gasoline.
- The majority of helium can be extracted from natural gas. Helium is used in party balloons, for chemical storage and reactions, and to cool superconducting magnets for NMR spectrometers.
- Helium has the lowest melting points and boiling points of all the elements. It can only exist as a gas unless it is subject to extreme conditions. To become solid, it must be pressurized. Helium at absolute zero pressure is a liquid at normal pressure.
- Under standard conditions, helium is monoatomic. Helium can be found as a single atom of an element, or in other words, it is monatomic.
- Helium is the second-lightest element. Hydrogen is the lightest element and one with the lowest density. Hydrogen is a diatomic gas, which is composed of two atoms that are bonded together. However, one atom of hydrogen has a higher density.
- Helium is inert, colorless, odorless and tasteless. Helium is one of the least reactive elements. It does not form compounds in normal conditions. It would have to be pressurized or ionized in order to bond to another element.
- The sound of a person’s vocal chords temporarily changes when they inhale helium.
- Helium is the second most abundant element, but it is less common than hydrogen. The element is non-renewable on Earth. While Helium cannot form compounds with other elements and the free atom can escape Earth’s gravity to bleed out through its atmosphere, it is not heavy enough to make any other elements.
- The observation of a yellow spectrum line coming from the sun provided evidence of the existence of helium.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium
- https://www.ciaaw.org/helium.htm
- Auguste Comte, Cours de Philosophie Positive at Project Gutenberg
- Helge Kragh, The Solar Element: A Reconsideration of Helium’s Early History., 2009, Annals of Science, 66:2.