Discovery Information
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Who: Sir William Ramsey, M.W. Travers |
When: 1898 |
Where: Great Britain |
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Name Origin
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Greek: xenon (stranger). |
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Sources
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Obtained from the small quantities in liquid air. |
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Uses
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Used in electronic flashes, projection lamps, UV lamps, and other powerful lamps. Also used in bubble chambers and paint testers. |
Preferred fuel for Ion Propulsion because of high molecular weight, ease of ionization, store as a liquid at near room temperature
(but at high pressure) yet easily converts back into a gas to fuel the engine, inert nature makes it environmentally friendly
and less corrosive to an ion engine than other fuels such as mercury or cesium.
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Notes
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Recently at the University of Helsinki in Finland some scientists have made HXeOH and HXeCCH (xenon hydride-hydroxide and
hydroxenoacetylene), they are stable up to 40K.
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Xenon is non-toxic, but many of its compounds are toxic due to their strong oxidative properties. |
Because xenon is heavier than air, the speed of sound in xenon is slower than that in air, and when inhaled, lowers the resonant
frequencies of the vocal tract. This produces a characteristic lowered voice pitch, analogous to the high-pitched voice caused
by inhalation of helium. The inhalation of xenon is more dangerous than that inhalation of helium. Inhalation can cause mild-to-moderate, short-lasting effects, including a pounding sensation associated with light and sound.
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