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54
Xe
131.3
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Nasa's Xenon Ion Drive engine.
Designed to propel spacecraft on deep space missions, it fires a beam of energetic xenon ions.
Relatively small amounts of ions are ejected, but at very high speeds.
The Deep Space 1 probe shoots ions out at 146 000 kilometers per hour (more than 88 000 mph).
| Classification: | Xenon is a noble gas and a nonmetal |
| Color: | colorless |
| Atomic weight: | 131.29 |
| State: | gas |
| Melting point: | -118.8 oC, 161.3 K |
| Boiling point: | -108.1 oC, 165 K |
| Shells: | 2,8,18,18,8 |
| Electron configuration: | [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p6 |
| Density @ 20oC: | 0.00588 g/cm3 |
| Atomic volume: | 37.3 cm3/mol |
| Structure: | fcc: face-centered cubic |
Discovery of Xenon
Xenon was discovered in 1898 by William Ramsay and Morris Travers.
They discovered it in the residue remaining after liquid air had been fractionally distilled. Spectroscopic analysis showed the previously unseen beautiful blue lines that indicated the presence of a new element - xenon.
Travers wrote of their discovery, "krypton yellow appeared very faint, the green almost absent. Several red lines, three brilliant and equidistant, and several blue lines were seen. Is this pure krypton, at a pressure which does not bring out the yellow and green, or a new gas? Probably the latter!"
The name comes from the Greek word 'xenos', meaning stranger.
William Ramsay received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1904 and also discovered or codiscovered the noble gases helium, neon, argon, and krypton.
Appearance & Characteristics
Xenon filled glass tubes in the shape of xenon's element symbol have several thousand volts applied.
This ionizes the xenon, which responds by emitting light.
Photo by Pslawinski.
Harmful effects:
Xenon is not considered to be toxic but many of its compounds are toxic as a result of their strong oxidizing properties.
Characteristics:
Xenon is a rare, colorless, odorless heavy gas.
Xenon is inert towards most chemicals.
Many compounds of xenon have now been made, principally with fluorine or oxygen. Both oxides, xenon trioxide (XeO3) and xenon tetroxide (XeO4) are highly explosive.
Xenon is used in photographic flashes, in high pressure arc lamps for motion picture projection, and in high pressure arc lamps to produce ultraviolet light.
It is used in instruments for radiation detection, e.g., neutron and X-ray counters and bubble chambers.
Xenon is used in medicine as a general anaesthetic and in medical imaging.
Modern ion thrusters for space travel use inert gases - especially xenon - for propellant, so there is no risk of the explosions associated with chemical propulsion.
Xenon is not considered to be toxic but many of its compounds are toxic as a result of their strong oxidizing properties.
Characteristics:
Xenon is a rare, colorless, odorless heavy gas.
Xenon is inert towards most chemicals.
Many compounds of xenon have now been made, principally with fluorine or oxygen. Both oxides, xenon trioxide (XeO3) and xenon tetroxide (XeO4) are highly explosive.
Uses of Xenon
Xenon is used in photographic flashes, in high pressure arc lamps for motion picture projection, and in high pressure arc lamps to produce ultraviolet light.
It is used in instruments for radiation detection, e.g., neutron and X-ray counters and bubble chambers.
Xenon is used in medicine as a general anaesthetic and in medical imaging.
Modern ion thrusters for space travel use inert gases - especially xenon - for propellant, so there is no risk of the explosions associated with chemical propulsion.
Abundance & Isotopes
Abundance earth's crust: 30 parts per trillion by weight, 5 parts per trillion by moles
Abundance solar system: parts per million by weight, parts per million by moles
Cost, pure: $120 per 100g
Cost, bulk: $ per 100g
Source:Xenon is a trace gas in Earth's atmosphere. It is obtained commercially by fractional distillation of liquid air.
Isotopes: Xenon has 36 isotopes whose half-lives are known, with mass numbers 110 to 145. Of these, seven are stable: 126Xe, 128Xe, 129Xe, 130Xe, 131Xe, 132Xe and 134Xe.
Abundance solar system: parts per million by weight, parts per million by moles
Cost, pure: $120 per 100g
Cost, bulk: $ per 100g
Source:Xenon is a trace gas in Earth's atmosphere. It is obtained commercially by fractional distillation of liquid air.
Isotopes: Xenon has 36 isotopes whose half-lives are known, with mass numbers 110 to 145. Of these, seven are stable: 126Xe, 128Xe, 129Xe, 130Xe, 131Xe, 132Xe and 134Xe.
Energies
Specific heat capacity: 0.158 J g-1 K-1
Heat of fusion: 2.297 kJ mol-1
1st ionization energy: 1170.4 kJ mol-1
3rd ionization energy: 3097.2 kJ mol-1
Heat of fusion: 2.297 kJ mol-1
1st ionization energy: 1170.4 kJ mol-1
3rd ionization energy: 3097.2 kJ mol-1
Heat of atomization: 0 kJ mol-1
Heat of vaporization: 12.636 kJ mol-1
2nd ionization energy: 2046.4 kJ mol-1
Electron affinity: kJ mol-1
Heat of vaporization: 12.636 kJ mol-1
2nd ionization energy: 2046.4 kJ mol-1
Electron affinity: kJ mol-1
Oxidation & Electrons
Shells: 2,8,18,18,8
Minimum oxidation number: 0
Min. common oxidation no.: 0
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale): 2.6
Minimum oxidation number: 0
Min. common oxidation no.: 0
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale): 2.6
Electron configuration: [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p6
Maximum oxidation number: 8
Max. common oxidation no.: 6
Polarizability volume: 4 Å3
Maximum oxidation number: 8
Max. common oxidation no.: 6
Polarizability volume: 4 Å3
Reactions & Compounds
Reaction with air: none
Reaction with 15 M HNO3: none
Oxide(s): XeO3 , XeO4
Hydride(s): none
Reaction with 15 M HNO3: none
Oxide(s): XeO3 , XeO4
Hydride(s): none
Reaction with 6 M HCl: none
Reaction with 6 M NaOH: none
Chloride(s): none
Reaction with 6 M NaOH: none
Chloride(s): none
Radius
Atomic radius: 108 pm
Ionic radius (2+ ion): pm
Ionic radius (2- ion): pm
Ionic radius (2+ ion): pm
Ionic radius (2- ion): pm
Ionic radius (1+ ion): pm
Ionic radius (3+ ion): pm
Ionic radius (1- ion): pm
Ionic radius (3+ ion): pm
Ionic radius (1- ion): pm
Conductivity
Thermal conductivity: 0.00565 W m-1 K-1
Electrical conductivity: S cm-1
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