Table of Contents
What is Xenon?
Xenon is a gas that is found in the Earth’s atmosphere and is used in a variety of ways. Xenon has a number of properties that make it valuable, including its color, its ability to create a bright light, and its inertness. Xenon is used in advertising and in lighting, and it is also used in medical procedures.
Compounds
- Compounds and elements are atoms that have been combined together to form a new substance.
- Compounds are atoms of two or more elements that have been combined chemically to form a new substance with a specific chemical formula. Elements are atoms of a single type of atom.
- When atoms of different elements are combined, they form compounds. Compounds have their own properties that are different from the elements that make them up. For example, water (H 2 O) is a compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It has different properties than either hydrogen or oxygen atoms do on their own.
Halides
Halides are ionic compounds that contain the halogen elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The halide ions are negatively charged and the metal ions are positively charged. The formulas for the most common halides are: NaCl, KBr, CaF 2 , and SrI 2 .
Oxides and Oxohalides
- An oxide is a chemical compound that contains oxygen in its chemical formula. Oxides are a type of ionic compound. Oxides are typically formed when a metal reacts with oxygen.
- An oxohalide is a chemical compound that contains oxygen and chlorine in its chemical formula. Oxohalides are a type of ionic compound. Oxohalides are typically formed when a metal reacts with oxygen and chlorine.
- An oxide is a compound of oxygen with another element. A good example is carbon dioxide, which is composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. An oxohalide is a compound of oxygen and halogen. A good example is chlorine dioxide, which is composed of one chlorine atom and two oxygen atoms.
- Oxides and oxohalides are important in industry. For example, chlorine dioxide is used to bleach paper and to disinfect water. Carbon dioxide is used to make carbonated drinks and to increase the yield of oil from oil wells.
Clathrates and Excimers
- In certain cases, an atom can form an clathrate with another atom, in which the atoms are trapped in a crystal lattice. Clathrates can be formed with noble gases, such as xenon, or with other molecules, such as water.
- An excimer is a molecule composed of two atoms that are held together by a very strong covalent bond. The atoms are usually very different in size, so the molecule has a very small volume. Excimers are often very unstable and can decompose very quickly.
Applications
- Xenon is used in light bulbs, lasers, and other electronic devices.
- It is also used in hospitals to help patients breathe.
- Xenon is a noble gas that is used in a variety of applications. It has a variety of properties that make it useful, including its non-toxicity, non-flammability, and high resistance to corrosion.
- Xenon is often used in lamps and flashlights, because it emits a bright light that is not harmful to the eyes. It is also used in medical imaging, because it does not produce radiation that can be harmful to patients.
- Xenon is also used in industry, because it is non-flammable and does not corrode metals. It is often used in manufacturing processes to prevent fires and corrosion.
