
The Noble Gases

Why Are They Happy?
Using the Bohr description of electron shells, happy atoms have full shells. All of the noble gases have full outer shells with eight electrons. Oh, wait! That's not totally correct. At the top of the noble gases is little helium (He), with a shell that is full with only two electrons. The fact that their outer shells are full means they are quite happy and don't need to react with other elements. In fact, they rarely combine with other elements. That non-reactivity is why they are called inert.Who's in the Family?

But Wait, They Do Bond!
Some do. As of about 40 years ago, scientists have been able to make some compounds with noble gases. Some have been used in compounds to make explosives, and others just form compounds in a lab. The thing to remember is that they were forced. When going about their natural lives, you will never (well, never say never, because there may be an exception) find the noble gases bonded to other elements.
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