Xenon
- Element #54
- Atomic mass: 131.29
- Electron levels: 2-8-18-18-8
- Is a noble gas
- Has a density of 3.52 g/cm^3 in liquid form
- Is generally inert, but does have a +4 valence in XeF4.
Xe was discovered in 1898 by Sir W. Ramsay and M. W. Travers of England. It melts at -111.76 degrees C and biols at -108.05 degrees C.
Xe is used in lamps and bubble chambers, and is a trace element in our atmosphere. Natural Xe has 9 stable isotopes, and 22 unstable isotopes have been made. Xe03 has been prepared, and is highly explosive. The structure of Xe compounds is questionable. Xe in "neon" signs is blue.
January 31, 1998
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