Answer:
The first noble gas in the periodic table is helium. Helium is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that belongs to the group of elements known as noble gases. It is represented by the symbol He and has an atomic number of 2.
Helium was discovered in 1868 by French astronomer Pierre Janssen during a solar eclipse. However, it was independently discovered by Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay in 1895. Ramsay and his colleague Lord Rayleigh were studying the gas released from the mineral cleveite when they noticed a new spectral line that did not correspond to any known element. This led to the identification of helium as a new element.
Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen. It is primarily produced through the nuclear fusion process that occurs in stars, particularly during their later stages of evolution. On Earth, helium is found in small quantities within natural gas deposits. It can be extracted through cryogenic distillation or by using adsorption techniques.
One of the unique properties of helium is its low boiling point, which is close to absolute zero (-268.93 degrees Celsius or -452 degrees Fahrenheit). This property allows helium to exist in both liquid and gaseous states at extremely low temperatures. Liquid helium is commonly used in cryogenics and superconductivity research due to its ability to maintain very low temperatures.
In terms of applications, helium has various uses across different industries. One of its primary applications is in filling balloons and airships due to its low density and non-flammable nature. Helium is also used in cooling systems for nuclear reactors, as a shielding gas for arc welding, and as a carrier gas in gas chromatography.
Overall, helium plays a significant role in scientific research, industrial processes, and everyday applications due to its unique properties and abundance in the universe.
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