{"id":377,"date":"2020-04-09T11:32:15","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T11:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/?page_id=377"},"modified":"2023-08-15T09:44:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T09:44:28","slug":"xenon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/xenon\/","title":{"rendered":"Xenon (Xe)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Xenon is a chemical element with the atomic number 54 in the periodic table. It can be traced in Earth\u2019s crust and mantle with an abundance of 30 parts per trillion (0.000000003%). Since element 54 is a gaseous substance that escapes easily into the atmosphere, larger quantities of this trace gas cannot remain in the layers of our planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a member of the noble gases family<\/a> of periodic table elements, this colorless and odorless element has eight valence electrons in its outer shell. This makes xenon an extremely stable and inert gas. It\u2019s most popular application is in flash lamps, but also has a significant role in medicine for various diagnostic uses and in anti-cancer therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chemical and Physical Properties of Xenon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Property<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Symbol of Xenon<\/td>Xe<\/td><\/tr>
Name<\/td>Xenon<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Number of Xenon<\/td>54<\/td><\/tr>
Group of Xenon<\/td>Noble Gas<\/td><\/tr>
Crystal Structure of Xenon<\/td>Cubic: Face centered<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Weight of Xenon<\/td>131.29<\/td><\/tr>
Shells of Xenon<\/td>2,8,18,18,8<\/td><\/tr>
Orbitals of Xenon<\/td>[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p6<\/td><\/tr>
Valence of Xenon<\/td>0<\/td><\/tr>
Electro Negativity of Xenon<\/td>0<\/td><\/tr>
Covalent Radius of Xenon<\/td>1.31 \u00c5<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Radius of Xenon<\/td>1.24 \u00c5<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic Volume of Xenon<\/td>37.3 cm\u00b3\/mol<\/td><\/tr>
Name Origin of Xenon<\/td>Greek: xenos (strange).<\/td><\/tr>
Discovered By<\/td>Sir William Ramsay; M. W. Travers<\/td><\/tr>
Year<\/td>1898<\/td><\/tr>
Location<\/td>England<\/td><\/tr>
Pronounced of Xenon<\/td>ZEE-non<\/td><\/tr>
Oxydation States of Xenon<\/td>0<\/td><\/tr>
Density of Xenon<\/td>0.00588 g\/cm\u00b3<\/td><\/tr>
Uses of Xenon<\/td>Used for filling flash lamps and other powerful lamps. Electrical excitation of xenon produces a burst of brilliant white light. Also used in bubble chambers and modern nuclear power reactors.<\/td><\/tr>
Description of Xenon<\/td>Very soft, light gray, ductile metal.<\/td><\/tr>
Physical state<\/td>Gas at room temperature<\/td><\/tr>
Half-life<\/td>From 32(10) milliseconds to 1.8(0.5 (stat), 0.1 (sys))\u00d71022 years<\/td><\/tr>
Electronegativity according to Pauling<\/td>Unknown<\/td><\/tr>
Isotopes<\/td>40<\/td><\/tr>
Most characteristic isotope<\/td>132Xe<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the first ionization<\/td>1170 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the second ionization<\/td>N\/A<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the periodic table symbol Xe, atomic number 54, atomic mass of 131.29 g.mol-1, and electron configuration [Kr] 4d105s25p6, xenon is a colourless, odorless, and tasteless gas with a face-centered cubic structure. Xenon reaches its boiling point at \u2212108.099\u00b0C, \u2212162.578\u00b0F, 165.051 K, while the melting point is reached at \u2212111.75\u00b0C, \u2212169.15\u00b0F, 161.4 K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a member of the noble gases family of elements, xenon has an unknown electronegativity according to Pauling, whereas the atomic radius according to van der Waals is 0.217 nm. This chemically unreactive (inert) gas emits blue blue light when exposed to release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field. At 155 GPa, xenon gas turns into a metallic substance.                  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Was Xenon Discovered?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While working at the University College London, UK, the Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916) and Morris Travers were trying to answer a question posed by Henry Cavendish a century ago. Namely, the research they conducted in 1894 was focused on investigating why nitrogen extracted from chemical compounds is about one-half percent lighter than the nitrogen <\/a>extracted from the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Ramsey observed that when he triggers a chemical reaction between hot magnesium <\/a>metal and atmospheric nitrogen, the residue contains a heavier and even less reactive gas. Ramsey and Travers found the Greek word \u2018argon<\/em>\u2019 as the most suitable depiction of this \u2018lazy<\/em>\u2019 and inert gas. Since there was no predicted slot in Mendeleev’s system for this type of substance, the two scientists were convinced that they\u2019re on the verge of discovering a completely new family of elements – the noble gas group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only caveat was that the argon had higher boiling point than the missing element. So, Ramsey and Travers tried to examine a sample of some argon-krypton residues with a spectroscope. This method of analysis displayed previously unseen beautiful blue lines. With no doubt whatsoever, the two chemists were now certain of the presence of a new strange element, labeled as xenon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Did Xenon Get Its Name?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The name of this chemical element originates from the Greek word ‘xenos<\/em>‘, meaning \u2018stranger<\/em>\u2019. Element\u2019s 54 name was suggested by its discoverer, Sir William Ramsay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where Can You Find Xenon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Xenon can be found in the entire Universe. It occurs in meteors, comets, and asteroids. This noble gas can be traced in Earth’s atmosphere as a mixture with other noble gases and oxygen. The air we breathe contains around 0.00000087% of this gaseous chemical element. Some mineral springs also release xenon gas. For commercial purposes, xenon is obtained by extraction from liquid air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Xenon in Everyday Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although it\u2019s a rare and inert gas, xenon has several significant practical uses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n