Noble gases

Group 0

Argon makes up about 0.9 per cent of the air. It is one of a group of elements called the noble gases. The noble gases are in Group 0 of the periodic table.

The noble gases - Group 0

Properties and uses of the noble gases

The noble gases are all chemically unreactive gases. The table describes their main uses.

The main uses of the noble gases

Noble gas	Main use
Helium Helium balloons	Used in balloons and airships. It is much less dense than air, so balloons filled with it float upwards.
Neon Neon tube	Used in advertising signs, it glows when electricity is passed through it. Different coloured neon lights can be made by coating the inside of the glass tubing of the lights with other chemicals.
Argon Blue light bulb	Used in light bulbs. The very thin metal filament inside the bulb would react with oxygen and burn away if the bulb were filled with air instead of argon. Argon stops the filament burning away because it is unreactive.
Krypton Laser eye surgery	Used in lasers. Krypton lasers are used by surgeons to treat certain eye problems and to remove birthmarks.