Doc Brown's Chemistry KS4 Science GCSE/IGCSE Chemistry Revision Notes

The GROUP 0 The Noble Gases 

 The Group 0 NOBLE GASES consist of helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radioactive radon. The physical properties are described and the group trends in melting points, boiling points and atomic radii and also the 'few' chemical properties are mentioned.

Keywords and phrases for Group 0 Noble Gases * argon uses * compounds * data on elements * electron arrangement * helium uses * introduction * krypton uses * neon uses * radon dangers * xenon uses * uses of noble gases * extra information

GCSE m/c QUIZ on Noble Gases * Multi-word fill worksheet on the Noble Gases

PLEASE Note A Level Students GCE AS/A2/IB Advanced Level Chemistry Notes on the Group 0/18 Noble Gases

Where are the Group 0 Noble Gases in the Periodic Table?

The Group 0 Noble Gases form the last vertical column on the right of the Periodic Table, where you find most of the non-metallic elements. Therefore the Noble Gas is the last element on ANY complete period. At the bottom of Group 0 is radioactive noble gas element radon (Rn) which is not shown.

Note: Using 0 to denote the Group number of Noble Gases is very historic now since compounds of xenon known exhibiting a valency of 8. Because of the horizontal series of elements e.g. like the Sc to Zn block (10 elements), Groups 3 to 7 can also be numbered as Groups 13 to 17, and Group 0 numbered Group 18, to fit in with the actual number of vertical columns of elements. This can make things confusing, but there it is, classification is still in progress!

• The "Noble Gases" are the last group in the Periodic Table i.e. they form the last elements at the end of a period, the final vertical column of elements.

• They are all non-metallic elements and all are colourless gases at room temperature and pressure with very low melting points and boiling points.

• They form 1% of air, and most of this is argon. All the noble gases, except radon, are separated by the fractional distillation of liquified air. Helium can also be obtained from natural gas wells where it has accumulated from radioactive decay (alpha particles become atoms of helium gas when they gain two electrons).

• They are very unreactive elements because the highest occupied electron level is complete, meaning they have a full shell of outer electrons! (see diagrams below). They have no 'wish' electronically to share electrons to form a covalent bond or to lose or gain electrons to form an ionic bond. In other words, they are electronically very stable.

• They exist as single atoms, that is they are monatomic He Ne Ar etc. (NOT diatomic molecules as with many other gases - reasons given above). This is because of their electronic stability - see point above and diagrams below.

• Their very inertness is an important feature of their practical uses. 

• Down the Group 0 with increasing atomic number for the Noble Gas elements ...

  • ... the melting point and boiling point steadily increase (see data) because the weak intermolecular forces increase with the size of the atom.

    • This is because the increase in the number of electrons in the increasingly bigger atom leads to an increase in these weak electrical attractive forces.

  • ... the density steadily increases (see data)

  • ... more likely to react and form a compound with very reactive elements like fluorine eg

    • Stable compounds of xenon are now known and synthesised BUT not before 1961!

    • The most reactive Noble Gas would be radon BUT this is a highly dangerous radioactive gas!

Chemical symbol and name

Extra 'bits and bobs' on THE NOBLE GASES

Xe + 2F₂ => XeF₄ (using Ni catalyst 60^oC, easy if you know how! and another catalytic bonus from a transition metal!)

Alphabetical Index for Science Pages Content A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z