Page 199 - The Periodic Table Book

54
Xe Xenon

54 54 77 State: Gas
Discovery: 1898
Forms Xenon is a transparent

gas but it glows with a
blue light when an electric Noble Gases
Pure xenon in a glass sphere Anaesthesia machine
current flows through it.

Xenon is
used in powerful
lasers that
can kill
bacteria.

The xenon produced
by this device makes Xenon glow
Plasma ball
a patient unconscious disinfects the air
before an operation.
This sample in a room.
of xenon is
Car headlight Xenon lamp
trapped in a
glass sphere.

Uses

Xenon headlights glow
brighter than the more
common halogen headlights.

High pressure inside this Dawn space probe
lamp makes electrified xenon
glow very brightly. Electrified xenon blasts
from the exhaust, pushing
the probe forwards.
Modern film projector lamp

Xenon is so rare that there is only one atom car headlights. The gas is harmless when
of this gaseous element for every 10 million breathed in and can be used as an anaesthetic.
atoms in the air. Like the other noble gases, When preparing food, xenon lamps can purify
xenon is colourless and odourless. It glows brightly the air. To propel spacecraft, xenon is used in
when electrified, making it useful in very powerful some rocket engines that produce streams
lamps, such as those used in film projectors and of fast-moving, electrified atoms. 197

196-197_Krypton_Xenon.indd 197 12/12/16 5:40 pm