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Question: Name the inert gas that has compounds that are known for the maximum number of compounds....

Name the inert gas that has compounds that are known for the maximum number of compounds.

Explanation

Solution

Hint : Noble gases are the least reactive of all elements in the periodic table. This inertness is because they have eight valence electrons, which fill their outer energy level. We know that according to the octet rule, this is the most stable arrangement of electrons. So noble gases rarely react with other elements and form compounds.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Xenon is the inert gas that forms the maximum number of compounds. The Xenon atom is larger than the other noble gasses since it is down in the group and we know that as we go down a group atomic size increases. So its outer electrons are farther away from the nucleus and are not well shielded and thus a little more loosely held making them subject to interaction with strong electron acceptors such as oxygen and fluorine.
XeF2Xe{F_2} , XeF4Xe{F_4} , XeF6Xe{F_6} , XeO3Xe{O_3} and XeOF4XeO{F_4} are some of the important compounds that Xenon makes with oxygen and fluorine.
The fluorides of xenon XeF2Xe{F_2} (the easiest to prepare), XeF4Xe{F_4} and XeF6Xe{F_6} are stable, colourless, crystalline solids that can be sublimed under vacuum.
The oxides of xenon known are xenon trioxide ( XeO3Xe{O_3} ) and xenon tetroxide ( XeO4Xe{O_4} ), and both are unstable, highly explosive solids that should be handled with the greatest care.

Note :
Xenon has the least ionization enthalpy among all the noble gases except Radon. Based on the ionization energy of radon which is less than that of xenon, in principle radon should be able to form an even greater variety of chemical compounds than xenon. But Radon is radioactive which means it is really unstable which makes compounds unstable.