The Noble Gases Essay

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen; however, it is rare on earth, primarily found mixed with natural gas trapped in underground pockets. Once helium is released it is so light it escapes the earth's atmosphere and cannot be recovered. At sea level, helium occurs in the atmosphere in the proportion of 5.4 parts per million. The proportion increases slightly at higher altitudes. About 1 part per million of atmospheric helium consists of helium-3, now thought to be a product of the decay of tritium, a radioactive hydrogen isotope of mass 3. The common helium isotope, helium-4, probably comes from radioactive alpha emitters in rocks. Natural gas, which contains an average of 0.4 percent helium, is the major commercial source of helium. By far the largest users of helium are agencies of the United States government.

What are some of the chemicals that caused the ozone hole to form over the stratosphere in Antarctica?

It is not “naturally occurring” and it is not composed of only ammonia, phosphorus and hydrogen sulfide” (Hunter-Burch, 2005, n.d.).

the earth and projecting a mixture of chemicals and water into the ground to release the gas

chemical element here on our own planet Earth. Though it is a rare, unreactive noble gas,

As said before, Krypton is used in some types of photographic flashes, some fluorescent bulbs, and its mixtures are used in signs to give them a greenish-yellow glow. It was also once used in measurements and is used in lasers for lab use.

used for dental fillings for cavities. Subsequently in 1898, it was found to be radioactive.

*Nitrogen, which accounts for 78 percent of the atmosphere, exists in the atmosphere in a form unusable by living organisms.

by small moons, whose collisions restock the supply. Thus, dust is found lurking of the

The German alchemist, Albertus Magnus from the 13th century, is the man who is known for first identifying Arsenic. Being number 33 on the periodic table, arsenic falls inside the metalloid line because of its characteristics. According to the Green Facts website “Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can be found in the Earth crust.” (Arsenic n.d.) It

It is insoluble in water, and usually is found in the form of a salt like substance.

Japan and Western Europe, utilized naphtha. Plants in gas-rich regions such as North America and

The forth-major gas is methane.  Methane also traps heat in to the atmosphere like carbon dioxide, but methane has a less harmful effect on

land and as it rises it hits the o-zone layer and bounces back into the earth

Looking back at this discovery it amazes me. Something that primitive people were able to discover became such a great deal to the world. we use iron in building so many things. It is the main component of steel (which is iron that is enriched with carbon) and steel is used for skyscrapers, high tension cables, automobile frames and so much more. Here on earth we have a very abundant supply as well, the earth is