Xe
Xenon
Atomic number: 54Mass: 131.293 uCategory: Noble Gas
About Xenon
Xenon is a colourless, dense, odourless noble gas found in Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. Although it was thought to be completely inert, xenon compounds do exist. It is used in bright flashing lights such as car headlights.
Properties
Period
5
Group
18
Block
P
Category
Noble Gas
Electronegativity
2.60 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy
1170.4 kJ/mol
Melting Point
161 K (-112°C)
Boiling Point
165 K (-108°C)
Density
5.887 g/L
Oxidation States
+2, +4, +6
Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶
[Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶
Shell 1:2e⁻
Shell 2:8e⁻
Shell 3:18e⁻
Shell 4:18e⁻
Shell 5:8e⁻
Real-World Uses
Car headlights (xenon)
General anaesthesia
Space ion drives
Stroboscopic lamps
Particle detectors
Fun Fact
Xenon can be used as an anaesthetic — inhaling it puts you to sleep without any side effects, unlike most anaesthetics!