Xenon (Xe) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

Xenon element (Xe) is in group 18 and period 5 of a periodic table. Xenon is in the p-block and it is classified as a noble gas element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to xenon which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

• Xenon element (Information Table)
• Xenon element in Periodic table
• Facts about Xenon
• Properties of Xenon
• Uses of Xenon

Xenon Element (Information Table)

The important data related to xenon element is given in the table below.

Appearance of xenon	Colorless gas
Atomic number of xenon	54
Symbol of xenon	Xe
Atomic mass of xenon	131.29 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in xenon	Protons: 54, Neutrons: 77, Electrons: 54
State of xenon (at STP)	Gas
Group number of xenon in periodic table	18
Period number of xenon in periodic table	5
Block of xenon in periodic table	p-block
Category of xenon	Noble gas
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in xenon	2, 8, 18, 18, 8
Electron configuration of xenon	[Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p6
Orbital diagram of xenon
Valence electrons in xenon	8
Atomic radius of xenon (van der Waals radius)	216 picometers
Density of xenon	5.9 g/L
1st ionization energy of xenon	12.130 eV
Main isotope of xenon	129Xe (26.4%) and 132Xe (26.9%)
Melting point of xenon	161.4 K or -111.7 °C or -169.1 °F
Boiling point of xenon	165 K or -108 °C or -162.5 °F
Crystal structure of xenon	Face Centered Cubic (FCC)
Discovery of xenon	By William Ramsey and Morris Travers (in 1898)

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Xenon element in Periodic table

The Xenon element (Xe) has the atomic number 54 and is located in group 18 and period 5. Xenon is a nonmetal and it is classified as a noble gas element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about xenon

Here are a few interesting facts about xenon element.

1. Xenon was given its name from the Greek word “xenos” which means stranger.
2. Xenon gas is 4 times heavier than air.
3. Xenon is very rarely available and so it is a very expensive noble gas.
4. The concentration of xenon in the earth’s atmosphere is only 1 part per 20 million.
5. Mars’s atmosphere also contains xenon in the concentration of 0.08 ppm.

Properties of xenon

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of xenon.

Physical properties of xenon

• Xenon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.
• The solidified xenon gas appears light blue in color.
• Xenon has FCC crystal structure.
• Xenon glows with blue (or lavender) light when it is subjected to electrical discharge.
• The melting point and boiling point of xenon is -111.7 °C and -108 °C respectively.

Chemical properties of xenon

• Xenon has 8 valence electrons and this indicates that it has a stable octet.
• The electron configuration of xenon is [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ and the electron shell arrangement is 2, 8, 18, 18, 8.
• Xenon is chemically inert but it shows a chemical reaction with some highly reactive elements like fluorine.

Uses of xenon

Here are some uses of the xenon element.

• Xenon is used in flash lamps as well as stroboscopic lamps because it gives a blue or lavender light on electrical discharge.
• Xenon is also used as an anesthetic gas in medical applications.
• Xenon gas is also used in TV tubes.
• Xenon is also used in headlights of vehicles (which gives a bluish glow).

External resources:

1. Possolo, et al. (2018, January 4). Interpreting and propagating the uncertainty of the standard atomic weights (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(2), 395–424. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2016-0402
2. Emsley, J. (2011). Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
3. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
4. Electronic structure of the elements. (2000, March). The European Physical Journal C, 15(1–4), 78–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02683401
5. James A. M. & Lord M. P. (1992). Macmillan’s chemical and physical data. Macmillan.
6. Xenon – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Xenon – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/54/xenon
7. Xenon – Wikipedia. (2010, May 6). Xenon – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon
8. P. (n.d.). Xenon | Xe (Element) – PubChem. Xenon | Xe (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Xenon
9. It’s Elemental – The Element Xenon. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Xenon. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele054.html
10. Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/54.shtml
11. Atomic Data for Xenon (Xe). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Xenon (Xe). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/xenontable1.htm
12. Bedford, et al. (1996, April 1). Recommended values of temperature on the International Temperature Scale of 1990 for a selected set of secondary reference points. Metrologia, 33(2), 133–154. https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/33/2/3
13. Allred, A. (1961, June). Electronegativity values from thermochemical data. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 17(3–4), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(61)80142-5