Nobel Gases
Nobel Gases - a little more about them
The noble gases Group 18 are located in the far right of the periodic table, and were previously referred to as the inert gases due to the fact that their filled valence shells (octets) make them extremely nonreactive. The noble gases were characterized relatively late compared to other element groups.The elements are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), radon (Rn), and element 118 (temporarily named ununoctium. The noble gasses are used in industry in arc welding, to dilute the oxygen in deep-sea divers' gas tanks, and to fill light bulbs. Argon is used in arc welding and in common light bulbs, as it does not react with the metal at high temperatures.
The first person to discover the noble gases was Henry Cavendish in 1875. Cavendish distinguished these elements by chemically removing all oxygen and nitrogen from a container of air. The nitrogen was oxidized to NO2 by electric discharges and absorbed by a sodium hydroxide solution. The remaining oxygen was then removed from the mixture with an absorber. The experiment revealed that 1/120 of the gas volume remained un-reacted in the receptacle. The second person to examine them was William Francis, he noted the formation of gas while dissolving uranium minerals in acid.
Noble gases - the gases in Group 18 | The Chemistry Journey | The Fuse School