Helium (He)
Helium, the second element in the periodic table, has 2 protons, 2 neutrons, and is a noble gas.
It has an atomic mass of 4.00260 amu, and is inert. Even though helium compounds are said
to exist (in laboratories), they are not joined by a true bond, and I still consider helium
to be inert. Helium was discovered in 1825 by Sir W. Ramsay of England, and N. Lenget and P.T.
Cleve of Sweden. Helium melts ar -272.2 degrees celcius, and boils at -268.934 degrees celcius.
Some uses for helium include balloons, creating a pink glow in "neon" lamps, and divers sometimes
breathe a mixture of oxygen and helium to prevent "the bends." Helium nuclei are also known as
alpha particles. The energy in hydrogen bombs is produced from the fusion of hydrogen into helium.
Helium is also used in cryogenic research because its boiling point is close to absolute zero.
The electron configuration of He is 1s2.
He has no electronegativity because it does not form compounds.
He has a densityof 0.1785 g/L at STP.
May 18, 1997, updated August 7, 1998
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