INTRODUCTION
Xenon is a colourless, odourless gaseous element which is found in minute amounts in the atmosphere.It has the ability to ionize at relatively low voltages, which makes it useful as the 'fill gas' for ionization chambers.
It was formerly believed to be chemically inert, but since 1962 several compounds of xenon have been prepared.
BASIC INFORMATIONS
- Atomic Number
- 54
- Atomic Mass
- 131.293
- Atomic radius
- 0.22
- Ionization energy
- 1170
- Electronic config
- 2,8,18,18,8
- Principal Valency
- 0
- Density g/cm³
- 0.0058
- Melting point °C
- 111.7
- Boiling point °C
- 108.2
- Type of Element
- Non metal
- Electronegativity
- N/A
- Element Category
- Noble Gas
- Appearance
- Colourless gas
- Block
- p-block
- Period
- 5
- Group
- 18
- No of Isotopes
- 38
- Occurrence
- Free element
- Abundance in ppm
- 1
- Year of Discovery
- 1898
EXTRACTION
It is mostly obtain by fractional distillation of liquid air.
OXIDATION STATES
0,+1,+2,+4,+6,+8 (Weakly acidic)
MAJOR SOURCE
Air
EXAMPLES OF COMPOUND PRESENT
Xenon tetrafluoride, Xenon trioxide, Barium perxenate
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
* Xenon is employed as solvents in infrared spectroscopy, because of it's transparency to infrared radiation and therefore do not obscure the spectra of
the dissolved substances.
* Xenon is used mainly in such lighting devices as high-speed photographic tubes.
* It is used in discharge tube to give colours.
