Group 0: The Noble Gases

This lesson covers the properties and uses of the Group 0 elements (the noble gases), as required by the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science specification (1SC0). You need to understand why the noble gases are unreactive, their electron configurations, and their uses.

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The Group 0 Elements

The noble gases are the elements in Group 0 (sometimes called Group 18) of the periodic table. They are found on the far right of the table:

Element	Symbol	Atomic Number	Electron Configuration	Boiling Point (°C)
Helium	He	2	2	−269
Neon	Ne	10	2, 8	−246
Argon	Ar	18	2, 8, 8	−186
Krypton	Kr	36	2, 8, 18, 8	−152
Xenon	Xe	54	2, 8, 18, 18, 8	−108
Radon	Rn	86	(radioactive)	−62

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Why Are the Noble Gases Unreactive?

The noble gases are extremely unreactive (sometimes called inert). This is because they have a full outer electron shell: