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What is Xenon? Origin / Meaning of the name Xenon
The name originates
from the Greek word 'xenon' meaning the stranger.
What is Xenon? Periodic Table Group and Classification of the Xenon Element
Elements can be classified based on their physical states (States
of Matter) e.g. gas, solid or liquid. This element is a gas. Xenon
is classified
as an element in the 'Noble Gases' section which can be located in
group 18 of the Periodic Table. The term 'Noble gas' derives from
the Old High German word Edelgas from 'edili' meaning "noble".
The name 'noble gases' is an allusion to the old, similarly
termed 'Noble Metals'. The Noble Metals included gold,
silver and platinum which were so called due to their long
association with the aristocracy.
Facts about the
Discovery and
History of the Xenon
Element
Xenon was discovered by
William Ramsay and Morris Travers
in England in 1898.
Sir William Ramsay
(1852 - 1916)
Sir William Ramsay discovered the noble gases and received the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services
in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air". These
elements included
Argon,
Krypton
and neon. Ramsay also isolated
Helium
which had been observed in the spectrum of the sun but
had not been found on earth. In 1910 Ramsay also made and
characterized radon.
Sir William Ramsay (1852 - 1916)
What is Xenon? Occurrence of the Xenon Element
A trace gas in Earth's atmosphere, occurring in one part in
twenty million
Obtained from liquid air
Abundances of the element in different environments
% in Universe
1×10-6%
% in Sun N/A
% in Meteorites N/A
% in Earth's Crust 2×10-9%
% in Oceans 5×10-10%
% in Humans N/A
Associated Uses of Xenon
Stroboscopic, bactericidal,
and laser-pumping lamps
Photographic flashes
General anaesthetic |
