Find the word definition

Crossword clues for noble gas

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Noble gas

Noble \No"ble\, a. [Compar. Nobler; superl. Noblest.] [F. noble, fr. L. nobilis that can be or is known, well known, famous, highborn, noble, fr. noscere to know. See know.]

  1. Possessing eminence, elevation, dignity, etc.; above whatever is low, mean, degrading, or dishonorable; magnanimous; as, a noble nature or action; a noble heart.

    Statues, with winding ivy crowned, belong To nobler poets for a nobler song.
    --Dryden.

  2. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid; as, a noble edifice.

  3. Of exalted rank; of or pertaining to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn; as, noble blood; a noble personage.

    Note: Noble is used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, noble-born, noble-hearted, noble-minded.

    Noble gas (Chem.), a gaseous element belonging to group VIII of the periodic table of elements, not combining with other elements under normal reaction conditions; specifically, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, or radon; also called inert gas.

    Noble metals (Chem.), silver, gold, and platinum; -- so called from their resistance to oxidation by air and to dissolution by acids. Copper, mercury, aluminium, palladium, rhodium, iridium, and osmium are sometimes included.

    Syn: Honorable; worthy; dignified; elevated; exalted; superior; sublime; great; eminent; illustrious; renowned; stately; splendid; magnificent; grand; magnanimous; generous; liberal; free.

Wiktionary
noble gas

n. (context chemistry English) Any of the elements of group 18 of the periodic table, being monatomic and (with very limited exceptions) inert.

WordNet
noble gas

n. any of the chemically inert gaseous elements of the helium group in the periodic table [syn: inert gas, argonon]

Wikipedia
Noble gas

The noble gases make a group of chemical elements with similar properties. Under standard conditions, they are all odorless, colorless, monatomic gases with very low chemical reactivity. The six noble gases that occur naturally are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and the radioactive radon (Rn). Ununoctium (Uuo), which was recognised as an element in December 2015, is predicted to be a noble gas as well but this theory is not confirmed.

For the first six periods of the periodic table, the noble gases are exactly the members of group 18 of the periodic table. It is possible that due to relativistic effects, the group 14 element flerovium exhibits some noble-gas-like properties, instead of the group 18 element ununoctium. Noble gases are typically highly unreactive except when under particular extreme conditions. The inertness of noble gases makes them very suitable in applications where reactions are not wanted. For example, argon is used in light bulbs to prevent the hot tungsten filament from oxidizing; also, helium is used in breathing gas by deep-sea divers to prevent oxygen and nitrogen toxicity.

The properties of the noble gases can be well explained by modern theories of atomic structure: their outer shell of valence electrons is considered to be "full", giving them little tendency to participate in chemical reactions, and it has been possible to prepare only a few hundred noble gas compounds. The melting and boiling points for a given noble gas are close together, differing by less than ; that is, they are liquids over only a small temperature range.

Neon, argon, krypton, and xenon are obtained from air in an air separation unit using the methods of liquefaction of gases and fractional distillation. Helium is sourced from natural gas fields which have high concentrations of helium in the natural gas, using cryogenic gas separation techniques, and radon is usually isolated from the radioactive decay of dissolved radium, thorium, or uranium compounds (since those compounds give off alpha particles). Noble gases have several important applications in industries such as lighting, welding, and space exploration. A helium-oxygen breathing gas is often used by deep-sea divers at depths of seawater over to keep the diver from experiencing oxygen toxemia, the lethal effect of high-pressure oxygen, and nitrogen narcosis, the distracting narcotic effect of the nitrogen in air beyond this partial-pressure threshold. After the risks caused by the flammability of hydrogen became apparent, it was replaced with helium in blimps and balloons.

Noble gas (data page)

This page provides supplementary data about the noble gases, which were excluded from the main article to conserve space and preserve focus.

Usage examples of "noble gas".

Interfered with, they dissolved much more quickly: in a noble gas more slowly.

He is not intrigued or impressed by the fact that a noble gas like xenon can form compounds--something that until recently most chemists swore was impossible.

Mercy saw every kind of solar power cell, small fusion units, collapsible vehicles, a shrouded thing labeled LINK-BELT MINIMINER, another called FAIRBANKS MORSE MARINE ION CONCENTRATOR, a third designated NOBLE GAS ATMOSPHERIC EXTRACTOR, MITSUBISHI HI LTD.