Periodic Table: 2. Helium | 9 Feb 2023 | @rey01v

Hi steemians, hope you all are doing good. The very 1st thing I remember when I started preparing for this article was "Gas Balloons" it brought back some of my childhood memories and joy that I played with gas balloons with my friends and also I cried a lot when the balloon accidentally flew away in the sky 😂, those are some of my childhood memories.

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Helium is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and inert gas that heads the noble gas series in the periodic table. It is the second lightest element in the universe and is the second most abundant element after hydrogen.

Helium was first discovered in 1868 by French astronomer Jules Janssen and British astronomer Joseph Norman Lockyer, who noticed a bright yellow spectral line in the spectrum of the sun during a solar eclipse. They named the element after the Greek god of the sun, Helios.

In 1895, Scottish chemist William Ramsay discovered helium on Earth by isolating the gas from a sample of cleveite, a mineral containing uranium and thorium. Today, helium is mainly produced by the natural radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in the Earth's crust.

Helium has many unique properties that make it useful in a wide range of applications. One of its most important properties is its low boiling point, which is the lowest of all elements. This makes it useful as a cooling agent in cryogenics, where it is used to cool superconducting magnets, cryogenic telescopes, and medical imaging equipment.

Helium is also used in welding and metal fabrication as a shielding gas to prevent oxidation and contamination of the metal. In addition, it is used in airships and blimps as a lifting gas because of its low density and non-flammability.

In the field of medicine, helium is used in respiratory treatments for conditions such as emphysema and bronchitis, as well as for treating certain speech disorders. The high-pitched voice produced by inhaling helium is often used for comedic effect.

Helium has also been used in nuclear reactors as a coolant and in space exploration, as it is the only gas that does not freeze in the extreme cold of space. It is used to pressurize the liquid fuel tanks of rockets and in cryogenic rocket engines, where it is used to cool the combustion chambers and nozzle.

Despite its many applications, helium is a finite resource and is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. Most of the world's helium supplies are found in the United States, Russia, and Algeria, and demand for the gas is growing rapidly.

Helium has many important uses:

Cryogenics:

Helium's low boiling point makes it an excellent cooling agent in cryogenics, where it is used to cool superconducting magnets, cryogenic telescopes, and medical imaging equipment.

Welding and Metal Fabrication:

Helium is used as a shielding gas in welding and metal fabrication to prevent oxidation and contamination of the metal.

Lifting Gas:

Helium is used in airships and blimps as a lifting gas because of its low density and non-flammability.

Respiratory Treatment:

Helium is used in respiratory treatments for conditions such as emphysema and bronchitis, as well as for treating certain speech disorders.

Nuclear Reactors:

Helium is used in nuclear reactors as a coolant.

Space Exploration:

Helium is used in space exploration as a coolant for cryogenic rocket engines and to pressurize the liquid fuel tanks of rockets.

Leak Detection:

Helium is used in leak detection because it is a small, lightweight gas that can easily penetrate small leaks.

Chromatography:

Helium is used in gas chromatography as a carrier gas to transport samples through the chromatography column.

Party Balloons:

Helium is used to inflate party balloons, making them float in the air.

In addition to these uses, researchers are also exploring the potential of helium in a variety of new and emerging technologies, including fusion reactors and quantum computing.

Conclusion:

Helium is an incredibly versatile and important element with a wide range of uses in a variety of fields, from medicine and cryogenics to space exploration and metal fabrication. However, as a finite resource, it is important that we find ways to conserve and sustainably manage our supplies of this valuable gas.