What atom is helium?
What atom is helium?
Helium (He), chemical element, inert gas of Group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table. The second lightest element (only hydrogen is lighter), helium is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas that becomes liquid at −268.9 °C (−452 °F)….Helium.
| atomic number | 2 |
|---|---|
| electron configuration | 1s2 |
What is helium composed of?
Helium is composed of two electrons in atomic orbitals surrounding a nucleus containing two protons and (usually) two neutrons.
Who was helium discovered by?
William Ramsay
Pierre JanssenNorman LockyerPer Teodor Cleve
Helium/Discoverers
What is helium used for?
Because it is very unreactive, helium is used to provide an inert protective atmosphere for making fibre optics and semiconductors, and for arc welding. Helium is also used to detect leaks, such as in car air-conditioning systems, and because it diffuses quickly it is used to inflate car airbags after impact.
Can helium be created?
Helium is all over the universe—it’s the second-most abundant element. But on Earth, it’s much less common. It can’t be artificially produced and must be extracted from natural gas wells.
Will helium run out?
Although it is rare on Earth, you likely have encountered it in helium-filled balloons. Once the gas leaks into the atmosphere, it is light enough to escape the Earth’s gravitational field so it bleeds off into space, never to return. We may run out of helium within 25–30 years because it’s being consumed so freely.
How did helium get on Earth?
On Earth, helium is generated deep underground through the natural radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium. The helium seeps up through the Earth’s crust and gets trapped in pockets of natural gas, where it can be extracted.
Why do hospitals need helium?
Helium gas is combined with oxygen for the treatment of asthma, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, not for the treatment of the underlying disease, but it is used to reduce airways resistance and respiratory muscle work until definitive treatments act.
What year will helium run out?
Once the gas leaks into the atmosphere, it is light enough to escape the Earth’s gravitational field so it bleeds off into space, never to return. We may run out of helium within 25–30 years because it’s being consumed so freely.