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All About
Elements:
Helium
1
Boreal’s All About Elements Series
Building Real-World Connections to
the Building Blocks of Chemistry
PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS
GROUP
1/IA
18/VIIIA
1
H
35
2/IIA
3
Li Be
6.94
Symbol
11
12
24.31
19
3/IIIB
20
21
5/VB
22
Ca Sc Ti
39.10
40.08
37
44.96
38
Rb Sr
85.47
Y
87.62
55
132.91
87
39
57–71
´
Ac
- Lr
Ac-Lr
(226.03)
(226)
´´
23
40
7/VIIB
24
14/IVA
5
10.81
Atomic Weight
13
9
VIIIB
VIII
8
25
26
Al
10
27
11/IB
28
29
12/IIB
30
26.98
31
15/VA
6
C
12.01
14
Si
28.09
32
16/VIA
7
N
14.01
P
15
30.97
33
O
16.00
S
16
32.07
52.00
41
54.94
42
95.94
95.94
73
55.85
43
(98)
(97.91)
74
Hf Ta
44
101.07
75
76
W Re Os
180.95
104
9
F
19.00
17
Cl
35.45
34
35
10
Ne
20.18
18
Ar
39.95
36
Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
92.91
72
4.00
17/VIIA
8
58.93
58.69
45
46
63.55
47
65.41
48
69.72
49
72.64
50
74.92
51
78.96
78.96
52
Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te
178.49
88 89–103
Fr Ra
6/VIB
50.94
91.22
La-Lu
137.33
V
47.87
88.91
56
Cs Ba
(223.02)
(223)
4/IVB
13/IIIA
B
79.90
9.01
22.99
Atomic Number
Br
4
Na Mg
K
He
KEY
1.01
2
183.84
105
106
186.21
107
190.23
108
102.91
77
Ir
192.22
106.42
78
107.87
79
112.41
80
114.82
81
118.71
82
121.76
83
127.60
84
79.90
I
53
126.90
85
83.80
54
Xe
109
110
196.97
111
200.59
112
204.38
113
207.2
207.20
114
208.98
115
(208.98)
(209)
116
(209.99)
(210)
86
117
(222.02)
(222)
118
Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Uub Uut Uuq Uup Uuh Uus Uuo
(261)
(261.11)
´
(262)
(262.11)
57
(266)
(266.12)
58
(264)
(264.12)
59
(277)
(277.00)
60
61
(268)
(268.14)
(269)
(247.07)
62
63
(272)
(280.00)
64
(285)
(285.00)
65
(284)
(284.00)
66
(289)
(289.00)
67
(288)
(288.00)
68
(289)
(293.00)
69
(294.00)
70
(294)
(294.00)
71
La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
US: www.wardsci.com
Canada: www.wardsci.ca
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© 2010 Rev. 7/15 Ward’s Science. All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form
or by any means without express prior written permission
from Ward’s Science.
US: www.scholarchemistry.com
Canada: www.scholarchemistry.ca
866-260-0501
© Copyright 2010 ScholAR Chemistry. All Rights Reserved.
BASIC
PERIODIC
- SIDE 1 (Rev.
7/15)
No portion
of this workTABLE
may be reproduced
in any form
or by any means
138.91
´´
140.12
89
140.91
90
91
Ac Th Pa
(227)
(227.03)
NOTES:
232.04
232.04
Black — solid
Red — gas
231.04
Blue — liquid
144.24
U
92
238.03
(145)
(144.91)
93
150.36
151.97
151.96
94
95
157.25
96
158.93
97
162.50
98
164.93
99
167.26
100
168.93
101
173.04
102
174.97
103
Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
(237)
(237.05)
(244)
(244.06)
(243)
(243.06)
(247)
(247.07)
(247)
(247.07)
(251)
(251.08)
(252)
(252.08)
(257)
(257.10)
(258)
(258.10)
(259)
(259.10)
1.Helium is the second most abundant element after hydrogen in the universe and
solar system. Approximately 11.3% of all
atoms in the universe are helium atoms.
When this number is added to the 88.6% of
the atoms in the universe that are hydrogen,
scientists conclude that at least 99.9% of all
atoms in the universe are either hydrogen or
helium atoms.
2
He
131.29
Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
195.08
Fun Facts
About…Helium
(262)
(262.11)
— synthetically prepared
Values provided are based on the 85th edition of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Some values have been rounded.
2.Helium was discovered in the Sun’s
atmosphere before it was found on Earth.
4.00
3.Helium exists in Earth’s atmosphere only
because it is constantly resupplied by the decay of radioactive elements on earth, such as
uranium and thorium.
without express prior written permission from ScholAR Chemistry.
Catalog #9630200
A chemical element is the simplest form of matter that scientists can work with
directly. All of the more complex substances are composed of elements in various combinations. But have you ever inquired about the properties of each of
those individual chemical building blocks? Our universe is composed of trillions
of substances that are all differing compositions of a finite number of elements.
In this email series, we will delve deeper into each of the elements in order to
gain more insight into their properties and uses and the substances they are
used to create.
In our All About Elements series, we’ve brought together the most fascinating
facts and figures about your favorite elements so students can explore their
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2
4.The helium we used today is is harvested through the same process that natural gas
is harvested.
5.The “lighter than air” properties of helium make it perfect for inflating party balloons, weather
balloons, blimps and even the massive balloons seen each year in the Macy Thanksgiving Day
Parade. In fact, to fill 15 of the balloons that are seen walking the streets of New York, organizers had to use approximately 300,000 cubic feet of helium. This is the equivalent volume of 2.2
million gallons of milk.tion, or hydrogen combining with oxygen. The reaction is equivalent
to burning hydrogen; however it is much slower and more controlled and produces electrical
energy to power the vehicle instead of heat.
All About
Helium:
Helium is the second element on the
Periodic Table of Elements. It is the
first noble gas that we encounter on
our trip around the table, and that
means that it is also an inert gas. Inert
means that the element is not very
active, and will not combine with
other elements or compounds. As
a matter of fact, there have been no
compounds of helium ever made! The
reason that helium and all other noble
gases are inert is because they have
completely filled electron shells. They do not need any other electrons to “feel
complete.” But do not assume that helium is boring just because it does not
form compounds with other elements. Helium may be colorless, odorless and
tasteless, but it shows up in exciting process such as semiconductors, birthday
balloons, welding and the Large Hadron Collider just to name a few.
Large Hadron Collider
3
Properties of Helium
In addition to being the second element on the Periodic Table, it is also the second most abundant element
in the universe. Only Hydrogen is more abundant! These two elements were copiously formed during
the creation of the universe. In the early stages of the universe, helium and hydrogen nuclei were actually
formed. No atoms were formed until about 300,000 years after the Big Bang took place, when the universe
became cold enough to form electrons that would combine with existing nuclei to form atoms. The helium
nuclei that were originally created still exist today in two different forms. The first is helium-4. Helium-4 has
two protons and two neutrons. The second is helium-3, which also has 2 protons but only has 1 neutron.
Helium-4 and helium-3 are both being made each day inside every star in the sky due to nuclear fusion
reactions between hydrogen nuclei. It is no surprise then that about 1 out of every 10 atoms or nuclei in
the universe is that of helium. It is estimated that about 11.3% of the atoms in the universe and solar system
are helium atoms. When this number is added to the approximate 88.6% of the hydrogen atoms in the
universe, scientists estimate that at least 99.9% of all of the atoms in the universe are either hydrogen or
helium atoms!
This 11.3% abundance is in drastic contrast however to the abundance of helium atoms on Earth. Helium is
the 6th most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere after nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and neon.
Helium only makes up 0.0005% of the air that we breathe each and every day. Most of the helium atoms
that were present in the Earth’s atmosphere at the beginning were able to escape Earth’s gravitation pull
very early due to their light mass and resulting speed. This is not the case for all planets in our solar system.
The atmosphere of Jupiter is very dense and contains about 24% helium by mass, mainly because of the
cold temperatures of Jupiter and the much stronger gravitation pull. Molecules of helium have a much
harder time gaining enough speed to break free from the gravitation pull of the gas giant
Discovery and
History
Now you may be asking that if helium has the
ability to leave our atmosphere, how we still have
a constant 0.0005% left. Well, the answer lies in the
formation of helium deep within the Earth’s crust.
Helium only exists in Earth’s atmosphere because it
is constantly resupplied by the decay of radioactive
elements such as uranium and thorium. This radioactive decay process was not understood however
for many years after the original discovery of the
element Helium. Let’s take a walk through history
and discover however helium was discovered and
how constant radioactive decay allows us to use it for
our birthday party balloons.
Photo of Jupiter
The Sun was actually the first place that helium was discovered. French
astronomer Pierre Janssen was in India in August 1868 to witness a total solar eclipse. He used a spectroscope
in order to view the wavelengths of light coming from the sun. A spectroscope is a powerful instrument used
to study chemical elements, and break the wavelengths of light that we see with the naked eye as one constant color, into its basic parts. These basic parts consist of a series of colored lines. These lines are called the
element’s spectrum, and each element has its own distinct spectrum. Spectroscopes allow scientists to I’ll see
an elements spectrum, even if they cannot see the element itself. When Janssen was using the spectroscope
to better observe the full eclipse of the sun, he identified some spectral lines that could not be traced to any
known element. He therefore concluded that there must be an element of the Sun that had never been seen
on earth. At about the same time an English physicist named Joseph Norman Lockyer noticed a similar bright
line, with a wavelength of 587.49 nanometers, in the spectrum of sunlight and also concluded that no known
element was responsible for it. Lockyer suggested that this new mystery element be called helium, after the
“Helios” the Greek word for sun.
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4
Where in the World is Helium?
For nearly 30 years, chemists and physicists were baffled by this mystery element that was identified on
the Sun but could not be found on Earth. It wasn’t until 1895 when Scottish chemist William Ramsay found
helium when he isolated the gas that was formed when mixing uranium ore with acids. Although Ramsay
was searching for argon, he analyzed the gas sample produced and realized that the spectrum matched that
of Lockyer’s helium. Credit for the earthly discovery of helium is sometimes given to two other scientists also.
Swedish chemists Per Theodor Cleve and Nils Abraham Langlet also discovered helium at about the same
time in a mineral called cleveite. While Ramsey had identified that helium was present in the uranium ore, he
was not clear on why it was present there. It was not until 1907 that this answer would become clear.
Formation of Earthly Helium
English physicist Ernest Rutherford was one of the great scientific figures of the 20th century. He made a
number of important discoveries about the structure of atoms and about radioactivity, one of which led
to the understanding of why helium was found in uranium ore by Ramsay in 1895. Rutherford discovered
that one form of radiation given off by radioactive materials is an alpha particle. In 1907 he discovered that
alpha particles are simple helium atoms without their electrons, and as uranium atoms broke apart during
radioactive decay, they gave off alpha particles (helium atoms). This is why helium was first found on Earth in
connection with uranium ore.
Around the same time, scientists
began to suspect that helium was
lurking in natural gas. According
to the American Chemical Society,
in 1903 a new natural gas well was
opened in Dexter Kansas. During
the town celebration, the mayor
attempted to ignite the escaping
gases, only to find that the flames
continuously went out. While this
was very disappointing for the
attending townspeople, Kansas State geologist Erasmus Haworth became curious. He studied the gas from
the well only to find that 12% was comprised of inert gases. Over the next two years he discovered that
helium was one of the inert gases present in the natural gas, due to the radioactive decay or materials such
as uranium and thorium. Together these elements produce about 3000 metric tons of helium a year that
escapes from the Earth’s crush with the natural gas. Helium is able to be isolated from natural gas reservoirs
deep beneath the Earth’s surface. As the helium comes to the surface with the natural gas, the temperature
of the mixture is lowered, and the natural gas liquefies and is funneled away, the gaseous helium is left
behind. As a result of the discovery that helium is present in many natural gas deposits, the price of helium
plummeted and the United States built a facility to stockpile the gas mainly from natural gas deposits in
Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Approximately 80% of the world helium is produced in the United States and
for many years, the US government operated the Federal Helium Program. This program was responsible for
collecting and storing helium for government use. The main customers for this helium were the Department
of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy. In 1996 this
program ended and the Bureau of Mines has now begun to sell of the federal reserves of helium.
5
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Snoopy Balloon
Uses of Helium Today
Crude helium enrichment unit
Helium has a very low temperature and boiling
point, and therefore remains in its gaseous form
until it is cooled to extremely cold temperatures. It is
also the lightest of all the Group 18 noble gases and
is “lighter than air.”These two properties combined
with helium’s unreactivity make it the perfect element for use in a variety of different applications
such as inflating balloons and blimps, shielding
during welding operations, pressurizing fuel tanks
in liquid fueled rockets, cooling superconductive
magnets, and for making our voices “squeaky.”
It is often the joke at birthday parties to cut open
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Machine
a helium balloon and inhale the gas. This causes the
persons voice to sound squeaky. Because the speed of sound is much higher in helium than in natural air,
it has the same effect as shrinking the cavities inside the mouth and nose, and therefore higher frequencies
resonant causing the sound to appear higher even though the voice box produces exactly the same range of
frequencies. While this is a fun trick to play every so often, breathing in lungs full of helium, or any other gas,
prevents oxygen from reaching the body’s tissue and can cause suffocation, and death.
Today, helium is frequently found in laboratories that require extra-cold temperatures for experiments,
because it can be chilled to temperatures near absolute zero. In fact, most of the helium that is used in the
United States is used in industry and to cool the magnets in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Liquid helium also cools the magnets of the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator,
down to -456.34 F (-271.3C). The National Aeronautics and Space Association, or NASA, uses liquid helium
to keep rocket fuel cool prior to launch. Also many components of airplanes and spaceships are exposed to
thermal cycling during their manufacturing process in order to harden the components and make them durable for the demands that will be put on them. This cold phase of this repeated cooling and heating process
is normally achieved using liquid helium as well.
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6
Have you ever wondered how much helium it takes to inflate a birthday party balloon? How about something larger such as a blimp? Well, according to parade organizers, it takes approximately 300,000 cubic feet
of helium to float the 15 character balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! That is the equivalent
volume of 2.2 million gallons of milk. While helium does not have the lifting power that hydrogen has,
hydrogen is a flammable gas, while helium is not, and therefore it is the gas of choice for our party balloons,
weather balloons and blimps.
Helium is also used during welding
operations due to its inactivity.
Welding is a process by which two
metals are heated to high temperatures in order to join them to
each other. Welding however does
not work well in “normal” air due
to the presence of oxygen. At high
temperatures, the metals are able
to react with the oxygen in the air
to form metal oxides. If this occurs,
they are less likely to form a solid
bond and therefore welders often
work in a container of helium. The
metals do not react with the helium
and therefore a stronger bond is
formed.
Welding under inert Helium gas
7
Teach All About Helium with
these Hands-on Materials:
Spectrum Discharge Tubes,
Deuterium
Save 13% on these items
through March 2016
Ideal for wavelength determination and introducing students
to the spectra of better known gases, these glass tubes are 10”
long, and the capillary portion is about 4” long. The spectrum
tube assemblies can be used in a variety of spectroscopic
applications. When they are observed through a spectroscope
the emission lines corresponding to the energy transition levels of the gaseous atoms or molecules will appear as distinct
components. For use with Spectrum Tube Power Supply.
with promo code EOM16
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Click item or search by item number to see
complete product details and current pricing
available at boreal.com.
Radioactive Decay Cubes
Lab Activity
How Long Will Radioactive Material Last?
Radioisotopes have been found to be useful in the
fields of geology, medical diagnosis and treatment,
metallurgy, agriculture, and scientific research. In this
lab activity, students will use the framework concepts
of Matter and Its Interactions (PS1) to explore the
concepts of radioactive decay and half-life. They will
determine the half-life of two different “elements,”
as well as graphically represent the observed decay.
Students will also be able to investigate what happens when a parent nuclei decays into daughter
nuclei over time.
Item Number: 366854
Student Spectrometer
This spectrometer may be economically priced, but
it’s still capable of performing many different types of
experiments involving spectras, angle of prisms, refractive indexes and more.
This Student Spectrometer consists of a heavy base
with a 170mm diameter circle, divided into 360 degrees, which rotates independently and has a locking
screw. Other fine features of the spectrometer include:
a fixed collimator with an adjustable axis; an objective
lens with a quality, lockable focusing system, a variable
aperture slit and a Ramsden eyepiece with cross-wires;
a moveable telesope featuring a set screw, a fine
motion screw and an adjustable axis, and a telescope
pillar with a vernier scale for accurate measurements; a
prism table with 3 leveling screws and engraved lines
and a clamp for prism placement in experiments; and a
grating holder
Dramatic Demonstration of Different
Wavelengths of Light
Item Number: 160576
Spectrum Tube Power Supply
Built With Safety and Ease of Use In Mind
Connecting sockets are fully shielded to prevent electric
shock. The bottom socket is spring loaded so tubes can
be changed easily. Output 5,000 V, 10 mA. 115 V. The
cord is 8”. Overall dimensions: 14 1/2” x 4 1/2” x 3”.
Item Number: 160569
Show Me Science: The Sun Powerhouse of the Solar System
The Sun releases energy that powers the entire Solar System. Charged
particles from the core’s chemical reactions create a stream of plasma
that escapes the Sun’s atmosphere. That stream is called the solar wind
and contains the entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. The Sun
creates an enormous magnetic field that regularly twists, triggering mass
ejections or flares that turn the solar wind into a storm. The Sun is only
one of more than 200 billion stars in the Milky Way. Students will see the
enormous span of the Universe, some of our neighboring stars and an
excellent description of the life of a star.
Item Number: 470123-136
Show Me Science: Jupiter The King Planet
Beyond the Asteroid Belt lies Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System.
It is a ball of gas with no solid surface. Regal Jupiter is orbited by more than
60 moons of which four are large enough to be small planets..
Item Number: 470123-194
Item Number: 160416
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8
9
Project STAR Spectrometer
View Spectra with an Accuracy of
±1 Nanometer
Examine the spectra of the Sun and stars, and those
produced by minerals in flame tests. It features a
high-quality grating and stepped slit for a clear,
precise, spectrum. The sturdy plastic construction is
labeled with both electron volts and nanometers, as
well as a chart of common spectral lines. An instruction manual is included. Size: 12”L x 8 1/2”W.
Item Number: 255005
Totally Tubular Rocket,
Value Twelve-Pack
Value-Price Rockets for Your
Entire Classroom
This twelve-pack of rockets requires no painting,
utilizes a finless design and uses a streamer for
speedy recovery. The most economical choice for
student exploration.
Item Number: 160119
Meteorlogical Balloon
2 M Diameter
Item Number: 231275
10
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