Inert gas facts for kids
An inert gas is a special kind of gas that usually doesn't react or mix chemically with other things. Think of them as "lazy" gases because they prefer to stay by themselves! Two common examples are argon and helium.
Some inert gases are made up of just one type of atom. These are called noble gases. Examples include helium and neon. Other inert gases can be made of more than one type of atom, forming molecules, or they can be mixtures of different gases.
Contents
What Makes a Gas Inert?
Gases are made of tiny particles called atoms or molecules. Most gases like to join up with other atoms or molecules to form new substances. This is called a chemical reaction. But inert gases are different. Their atoms or molecules are very stable. This means they already have a full outer shell of electrons, so they don't need to gain, lose, or share electrons with other atoms. Because of this, they are very unreactive.
Where Do We Use Inert Gases?
Inert gases are super useful because they don't react with other things. This makes them perfect for situations where you want to stop unwanted chemical reactions.
Keeping Food Fresh
One cool use is in keeping food fresh. For example, a gas made from nitrogen (which acts as an inert gas in this use) is often used to fill bags of chips or other snacks. It pushes out the oxygen, which can make food go bad or stale. This helps keep your snacks crunchy and fresh for longer when they are transported or stored.
Protecting During Welding
Inert gases are also very important in welding. Welding is when you join two pieces of metal together by melting them. When metal gets very hot, it can react with oxygen in the air and get damaged. Welders use a shield of inert gas, like argon, around the hot metal. This gas pushes away the oxygen and other reactive gases, protecting the metal and making the weld strong and clean.
Preventing Explosions
Another critical use is in places where there's a risk of fire or explosion. For instance, inert gases can be put into gasoline tanks. Gasoline fumes can be very flammable when mixed with air. By filling the space above the gasoline with an inert gas, it reduces the amount of oxygen. This makes it much harder for a spark to cause an explosion, making things safer.
Other Everyday Uses
- Light Bulbs: Many older light bulbs use argon or nitrogen inside. These gases stop the hot filament from burning out too quickly.
- Balloons: Helium is lighter than air, so it's used to fill balloons for parties or even large weather balloons.
- Diving: Deep-sea divers sometimes use special gas mixtures that include helium to prevent problems like "the bends."
Types of Inert Gases
The most well-known inert gases are the noble gases. There are six of them:
While these noble gases are naturally inert, other gases like nitrogen can also be used as inert gases in certain situations, especially when they are pure and kept away from other reactive elements.
