What is the difference between inert gas and noble gas

These forces increase as the size of the atom increases. Because of the weak forces, their melting points and boiling points are very low. The boiling point and the melting point of an element have somewhat similar values. Among all the noble gases, helium is little bit different. It has the lowest boiling point and the melting point from all.

It is the smallest element. It shows superfluidity. So it cannot be solidified by cooling under standard conditions. From helium to radon down the group, atomic radius increases due to the increasing number of electrons and ionization energy decreases because expelling the outer most electrons becomes easier when the distance to it from the nucleus gets increased. Noble gases are obtained from air by methods of liquefaction of gases and then fractional distillation.

Among these elements, radon is radioactive. Its isotopes are unstable. The attraction forces that exist between these gaseous particles are very less. Therefore, these particles are always in motion due to collisions that occur between particles. Gases are found as reactive gases and inert gases.

Noble gases are a type of inert gas. The main difference between inert gases and noble gases is that inert gases do not undergo chemical reactions whereas noble gases can undergo chemical reactions at certain conditions.

Inert gasses are compounds that do not undergo chemical reactions. These are non-reactive gases. Inert gases can be elemental or can exist as compounds. Argon is a good example for an elemental inert gas. Nitrogen is considered as an inert gas most of the times. It is a compound composed of two nitrogen atoms.

The non-reactive behavior of inert gases arises due to the completed valence shells. In other words, the outermost electron shells of the atoms of these gases are completely filled. Thus, there is no need to further react with other chemical species since all other atoms react with other chemical species in order to become stable by filling all the electron shells or by removing electrons in the outermost shell in order to obtain a complete valence shell.

Figure Atomic Structure of Neon. Neon is an inert gas. It is composed of Neon atoms. Neon cannot undergo chemical reactions because its outermost shell is completely filled with electrons.

Inert gases are useful in situations where chemical reactions should be avoided. For example, using inert gases in food packages is safe since it prevents bacterial growth. At these temperatures the metal would react with any oxygen present which is why an inert gas is needed. Krypton is used to produce white light for photography — again an electrical current is passed through the gas so it emits light.

Radon is a radioactive element. Radon gas is formed by decay of other radioactive elements and the concentration in the environment depends upon the types of rocks on which you live. For example, the granite in Dartmoor contains small amounts of uranium that forms radon, which can accumulate in buildings and drinking water. This leads to an increased risk of cancer. This free course, The science of nuclear energy, will delve into the science behind nuclear power and explain what happens inside a nuclear reactor and what it means for an element to be radioactive.

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