Question

What Are Inert Elements?

Answer 1

Chemically inert is a phrase used in chemistry to describe a material that is not chemically reactive. A material is thermodynamically inert, or nonlabile, if it is thermodynamically unstable (positive standard Gibbs free energy of production) yet decomposes slowly or not at all.

Complete answer:
Most of the elements in Groups 8 and 18 of the periodic table (Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, and Radon) are considered inert (or unreactive). These elements are known as inert gases because they are stable in their natural state (gaseous form). The noble gases (historically known as inert gases; sometimes known as aerogenes) are a group of chemical elements with comparable characteristics; they are all odourless, colourless, monatomic gases with very little chemical reactivity under normal circumstances. Helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radioactive radon are the six naturally occurring noble gases (Rn). Oganesson (Og) has been speculated to be a noble gas or to defy the trend owing to relativistic effects; nevertheless, its chemistry has yet to be studied. The noble gases are members of group 18 for the first six periods of the periodic table. Except under the most severe circumstances, noble gases are generally very inert. Noble gases' inertness makes them ideal for situations where no reactions are desired. For example, argon is used in incandescent lights to keep the hot tungsten filament from oxidising, while helium is used in deep-sea divers' breathing gas to prevent toxicity from oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide (hypercapnia). Using liquefaction of gases and fractional distillation, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon are extracted from air in an air separation unit.

Note :
The noble gases' characteristics are well described by contemporary atomic structure theories: their outer shell of valence electrons is believed to be "full," giving them minimal propensity to engage in chemical processes, and only a few hundred noble gas compounds have been prepared. The melting and boiling temperatures of a noble gas differ by less than 10 °C (18 °F), indicating that they are liquids only within a narrow temperature range.