Xenon

Atomic Number: 54
Symbol: Xe
Atomic Mass: 131.29 u
Number of Neutrons: 78
Melting Point: -111.79°C
Boiling Point: -108.12°C
Electrons per shell: 2.8.18.18.8
Electron configuration: [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p6


Xenon is the 54th element in the periodic table and it is one of the noble gasses. It is very unreactive with only one reaction with flourine. It is a colorless, dense, odorless gas found in the earth's atmosphere in very small amounts. This element is used in photographic flashes, and in high pressure lamps for motion picture projection. Xenon is extremely rare and is 0.086 parts per million by volume in the earths atmosphere. Due to this it is very expensive, but also because it is one of the heaviest gasses. The name xenon is derived from the greek word "Xenos" meaning stranger. Xenon was discovered in 1898, by Morris Travers and Sir William Ramsay. They did an experiment where they extracted neon, argon, and krypton from liquid air, and wondered if it contained other gases. Which it did and found xenon.

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References

“Xenon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon.

“Sir William Ramsay.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/William-Ramsay.

“Xenon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/science/xenon.

“File:Electron_shell_054_Xenon_-_no_label.Svg.” Wikimedia, 12 Sept. 2020, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electron_shell_054_Xenon_-_no_label.svg.