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Chapter 19: Problem 69

Although He is the second most abundant element in the universe, it is very rare on the earth. Why?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Helium is rare on Earth due to its light mass, non-reactive nature, and limited sources. Its low mass allows it to easily escape Earth's gravity and makes containment in the atmosphere difficult. Being non-reactive, helium doesn't form compounds in Earth's crust. It can primarily be extracted from natural gas reservoirs as a byproduct of radioactive decay, but these sources are limited.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the background of helium

Helium is a noble gas with the atomic number 2. It is a light, non-toxic, and inert element that does not easily react with other elements. In the universe, helium is primarily formed during nuclear fusion reactions in stars, a process called nucleosynthesis.
02

Compare helium's abundance in the universe and on Earth

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, making up approximately 25% of its mass. However, helium only makes up 0.00052% of the Earth's atmosphere by volume and is even scarcer in the Earth's crust.
03

Identify helium's properties that lead to its rarity

The reason for helium's rarity on Earth is due to its light mass and non-reactive nature. Due to its lightness, helium has a low boiling point and can easily escape Earth's gravity. In addition, the Earth's atmosphere cannot easily contain helium as it rises to the upper layers and eventually escapes into space.
04

Discuss other sources of helium on Earth and their limitations

On Earth, helium is primarily extracted from natural gas reservoirs as a byproduct of the radioactive decay of heavier elements. However, these sources are limited, leading to a scarcity of helium on our planet.
05

Conclusion

Despite being the second most abundant element in the universe, helium is rare on Earth due to its low mass, non-reactive nature, and limited sources available. Its light mass allows it to easily escape Earth's gravity and makes it difficult to be contained in the atmosphere, while its non-reactive property minimizes its presence in compounds found in the Earth's crust.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Many structures of phosphorus-containing compounds are drawn with some \(P=O\) bonds. These bonds are not the typical \(\pi\) bonds we've considered, which involve the overlap of two \(p\) orbitals. Instead, they result from the overlap of a \(d\) orbital on the phosphorus atom with a \(p\) orbital on oxygen. This type of \(\pi\) bonding is sometimes used as an explanation for why \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{3}\) has the first structure below rather than the second:Draw a picture showing how a \(d\) orbital and a \(p\) orbital overlap to form a \(\pi\) bond.

Write a balanced equation describing the reaction of aluminum metal with concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide.

Write the Lewis structure for \(\mathrm{O}_{2} \mathrm{F}_{2}\). Predict the bond angles and hybridization of the two central oxygen atoms. Assign oxidation states and formal charges to the atoms in \(\mathrm{O}_{2} \mathrm{F}_{2} .\) The compound \(\mathrm{O}_{2} \mathrm{F}_{2}\) is a vigorous and potent oxidizing and fluorinating agent. Are oxidation states or formal charges more useful in accounting for these properties of \(\mathrm{O}_{2} \mathrm{F}_{2} ?\)

Nitrogen gas reacts with hydrogen gas to form ammonia gas \(\left(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\right) .\) Consider the following illustration representing the original reaction mixture in a \(15.0 \mathrm{L}\) container (the numbers of each molecule shown are relative numbers):Assume this reaction mixture goes to completion. The piston apparatus allows the container volume to change in order to keep the pressure constant at 1.00 atm. Assume ideal behavior and constant temperature. a. What is the partial pressure of ammonia in the container when the reaction is complete? b. What is the mole fraction of ammonia in the container when the reaction is complete? c. What is the volume of the container when the reaction is complete?

Besides the central atom, what are the differences between \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{SiO}_{2} ?\)
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