Helium

Properties
Atomic symbol |  He
Atomic number |  2
Classification |  Group 18, Noble gas
Atomic mass |  4.0026 amu
Melting point (°C) |  -272.2 (26 atm)
Boiling point (°C) |  -268.6
Density (grams per cc) |  0.1785 (per liter)
0.1380 (relative)
Abundance in lithosphere (%) |  5 x 10-4
Other Information
Date of discovery |  August 18, 1868
Name of discoverer |  Pierre Janssen
Name origin |  from Greek mythology: Helios the sun god

Helium is the second element on the periodic table of the elements.[1] It is also the second most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen. Modern physicists have acertained that most of the helium originated from the Big Bang;[2] however this is disputed by creationists.[3] Both groups generally agree that subsequently helium has been created by nuclear fusion in the center of stars.[4] Helium is also the by-product of alpha-particle radioactivity. Radioactive decay of heavy elements deep inside the Earth sends helium leaking into natural gas wells, from which it is obtained for commercial use. The atomic weight of Helium-4, the most common isotope, is 4.002603254.

The largest supplier of helium in the world is the United States, which produces 44% of the world's total; the U.S. produced 2.15 billion cubic feet of helium in 2020, with 150 times that in recoverable reserves of natural gas.[5]

Helium has an interesting history; during the nineteenth century, one of the things some scientists declared to be "impossible"[6] was the determination of the chemical makeup of the stars. Then spectroscopy was developed, and the composition of the stars became known in great detail. Helium, in particular, was discovered in the Sun (as an unknown element) before it was discovered on the Earth. It was, accordingly, named after Helios, the Greek god of the Sun. It was first found in natural gas in 1905 at the University of Kansas.[7]

## Notes and references[edit]

1. ↑ Wile, Dr. Jay L. Exploring Creation With Physical Science. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000
2. ↑ For a detailed account of this see: http://www.lbl.gov/abc/wallchart/chapters/10/0.html
3. ↑ See http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/ApJ/journal/issues/ApJL/v509n1/985623/985623.web.pdf
4. ↑ A detailed account of this can be found at http://zebu.uoregon.edu/textbook/energygen.html
5. ↑ https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/usgs-estimates-306-billion-cubic-feet-recoverable-helium-united-states
6. ↑ Astrophysical.org
7. ↑ http://www.news.ku.edu/2000/00N/AprNews/Apr7/bailey.html

Periodic Table of the Elements

1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18

1.008

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

4.003

6.939

9.0122

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

10.811

12.011

14.007

15.999

18.998

10.183

22.99

24.312

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

26.982

28.086

30.974

32.064

35.453

39.948

39.102

40.08

44.956

47.9

50.942

51.996

54.938

55.847

58.933

58.71

63.546

65.37

69.72

72.59

74.922

78.96

79.904

83.8

85.47

87.62

88.905

91.22

92.906

95.94

[97]

101.07

102.91

106.4

107.87

112.4

114.82

118.69

121.75

127.6

126.9

131.3

132.91

137.34

57*

138.91

178.49

180.95

183.85

186.2

190.2

192.2

195.09

196.97

200.59

204.37

207.19

208.98

210

210

222

215

226.03

89**

227.03

104

[261]

105

[262]

106

[266]

107

[264]

108

[265]

109

[268]

110

[271]

111

[272]

112

[277]

113

[284]

114

[289]

115

[288]

116

[292]

117

[293]

118

[294]

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
*Lanthanides  |

140.12

140.91

144.24

145

150.35

151.96

157.25

158.92

162.5

164.93

167.26

168.93

173.04

174.97

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
**Actinides  |

232.04

231

238.03

237.05

239.05

241.06

244.06

249.08

252.08

252.08

100

257.1

101

258.1

102

259.1

103

262.11

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |