Noble Gas Photo Gallery

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Helium - Noble Gas

Lightest Noble Gas A helium filled discharge tube shaped like the element's atomic symbol. pslawinski, metal-halide.net

Images of the Noble Gases

The noble gases, also known as the inert gases, are located in Group VIII of the periodic table. Group VIII is sometimes called Group O. The noble gases are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and ununoctium.

Noble Gas Properties

The noble gases are relatively nonreactive. This is because they have a complete valence shell. They have little tendency to gain or lose electrons. The noble gases have high ionization energies and negligible electronegativities. The noble gases have low boiling points and are all gases at room temperature.

Summary of Common Properties

Fairly nonreactive
Complete valence shell
High ionization energies
Very low electronegativities
Low boiling points (all gases at room temperature)

Helium is the lightest of the noble gases with an atomic number of 2.

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Helium Discharge Tube - Noble Gas

Noble Gases This is a glowing vial of ionized helium. Jurii, Wikipedia Commons

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Neon - Noble Gas

Noble Gases This neon filled discharge tube displays the element's characteristic reddish-orange emission. pslawinski, wikipedia.org

Neon lights may glow with the reddish emission from neon or the glass tubes may be coated with phosphors to produce different colors.

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Neon Discharge Tube - Noble Gas

Noble Gases This is a photo of a glowing discharge tube filled with neon. Jurii, Wikipedia Commons

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Argon - Noble Gas

Noble Gases Argon is the current carrier in this discharge tube, while mercury is what produces the glow. pslawinski, wikipedia.org

The discharge of argon averages out to blue, but argon lasers are among those that can be tuned to various wavelengths.

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Argon Ice - Noble Gas

This is a piece of argon ice. — Noble Gases This is a 2 cm piece of melting argon ice. The argon ice was formed by flowing argon gas into a graduated cylinder that was immersed in liquid nitrogen. A drop of liquid argon is seen melting on the edge of the argon ice. Deglr6328, Free Documentation License

Argon is one of the few noble gases that can be observed in solid form. Argon is a relatively abundant element in the Earth's atmosphere.

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Argon Glow in a Discharge Tube - Noble Gas

Noble Gases This is the glow of pure argon in a gas discharge tube. Jurii, Creative Commons License

Argon is often used to provide an inert atmosphere for reactive chemicals.

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Krypton - Noble Gas

Noble Gases Krypton in a discharge tube displays its green and orange spectral signature. Gaseous krypton is colorless, while solid krypton is white. pslawinski, wikipedia.org

Although krypton is a noble gas, it does sometimes form compounds.

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Xenon - Noble Gas

Xenon is a colorless gas, but it emits a blue glow when excited by an electrical discharge. — Noble Gases Xenon normally is a colorless gas, but it emits a blue glow when excited by an electrical discharge, as seen here. pslawinski, wikipedia.org

Xenon is used in bright lights, such as those used in spotlights and some vehicle headlamps.

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Radon - Noble Gas

This is not radon, but radon looks like this.\ — Noble Gases This is not radon, but radon looks like this. Radon glows red in a gas discharge tube, though it is not used in tubes because of its radioactivity. This is xenon in a gas discharge tube, with the colors changed to show what radon would look like. Jurii, Creative Commons License

Radon is a radioactive gas that glows on its own.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Noble Gas Photo Gallery." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/noble-gas-photo-gallery-4054173. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 27). Noble Gas Photo Gallery. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/noble-gas-photo-gallery-4054173 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Noble Gas Photo Gallery." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/noble-gas-photo-gallery-4054173 (accessed May 30, 2023).