Helium

Luke Giegerich - Helium - 2 Noble Gas Way (Top House on the Right) - Atomic Number: 2; Atomic Mass: 4.0026

Objective - What does your element want to do?

Work in advertising (neon signs), low-temperature cooling systems, a hot-air balloon filler, help create rocket fuel, or assist in the welding process.

- What kind of job is it looking for?

It is looking for an independent job where it is not forced to share electrons because it is already in a stable state.

- What is its ideal position? Be creative!

Because helium’s electron configuration is 1s2, its valence electrons completely fill its outermost subshell. Therefore, this element is unlikely to share electrons with other elements, so its ideal position is its current position as an independent noble gas.

- Background

Helium is the second element on the periodic table, meaning it has 2 electrons as well as 2 protons. Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert monatomic gas. It has been found in the liquid, gas and plasma phase and therefore is a somewhat diverse element.

- How did your element get to where it is now?

Helium went from being an unidentified gas in the 1800’s to a now common natural gas used in different everyday situations.

- Give a concise history.

It was suggest that helium was created during the Big Bang but it wasn’t discovered until millions of years later. The first evidence of helium was observed on August 18, 1868 as a bright yellow line with a wavelength of 587.49 nanometers in the spectrum of the chromosphere of the Sun. The line was detected by French astronomer Pierre Janssen. Until 1895, helium was thought to be sodium, but Sir William Ramsay was able to isolate helium by using mineral acids to treat it. 10 years later during an oil rig operation in Kansas, a geyser had been discovered and when the gas released was sampled, it contained 12% of an unknown gas. This gas, after further examination and testing proved to be helium. Also, chemists Per Teodor Cleve and Abraham Langle were able to gain enough gas to determine its atomic weight.

Honors and Awards - What is your element known for?

Helium is known for being the second lightest as well as the second most abundant element in the universe.

- What makes it particularly valuable for humans?

Humans generally don’t need helium but it is used for small things such as filling up balloons.

Experience and Skills

- What can your element do?

Helium can be transferred into liquid form and can share its electrons with other elements, although this is highly unlikely because helium is satisfied in a neutral, and non-reactive state.

- What is it good at?

Helium is particularly good at staying calm while on the job it’s nearly completely non-reactivity. It also is a very good independent worker because of its full subshell level.

References - Are there other elements that would have good things to say about yours? List them here and explain why they know and love your element.

Helium’s next door neighbor and close friend neon has never had a problem with helium. Neon states how he doesn’t bother other elements for electrons and cleans up after his pet protons.

Argon also stated how he loves helium for his hilarious high-pitched chipmunk voice.

Citations - Where did you find your information? List your sources here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium http://www.corrosionsource.com/handbook/periodic/2.htm