Xenon (general)
Xenon is a chemical element with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert noble gas. Although generally unreactive, xenon can form several chemical compounds, particularly with fluorine.
Properties:
- Symbol: Xe
- Atomic Number: 54
- Atomic Mass: 131.293 u
- Electron Configuration: [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶
- State at Room Temperature: Gas
- Density: 5.894 g/L (at 0 °C, 101.325 kPa)
- Melting Point: -111.75 °C
- Boiling Point: -108.099 °C
- Discovery: Discovered in 1898 by William Ramsay and Morris Travers.
Occurrence:
Xenon is found in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere, constituting approximately one part per twenty million. It is obtained commercially by fractional distillation of liquefied air.
Isotopes:
Xenon has nine stable isotopes and numerous unstable isotopes. The stable isotopes are 124Xe, 126Xe, 128Xe, 129Xe, 130Xe, 131Xe, 132Xe, 134Xe, and 136Xe. 133Xe, a radioactive isotope, is used in medical imaging.
Uses:
- Lighting: Xenon is used in high-intensity lamps, such as those used in car headlights (Xenon HID lamps) and photographic flash lamps.
- Medical Imaging: Radioactive xenon isotopes are used in medical imaging techniques to study blood flow, particularly in the lungs and brain.
- Anesthesia: In some rare cases, xenon is used as a general anesthetic.
- Ion Propulsion: Xenon is used as a propellant in ion thrusters for spacecraft propulsion because of its high atomic weight.
- Research: Xenon is used in various scientific research applications, including bubble chambers and detectors for dark matter.
Compounds:
While xenon was once considered completely inert, several compounds containing xenon have been synthesized. The most common are xenon fluorides, such as xenon difluoride (XeF₂) and xenon tetrafluoride (XeF₄). Other compounds, including xenon oxides and perxenates, are also known.
Safety:
Xenon is generally considered non-toxic. However, like other inert gases, it can act as an asphyxiant by displacing oxygen in the lungs.
See Also:
- Noble gas
- Chemical element
- Fractional distillation
- Xenon fluorides