Nothing to be worried about if you were sleeping at the time when the teacher was discussing the noble gases and other elements in class. Many people start wondering is radon a noble gas or not after realizing the health risk associated with the gas.
Radon is the first leading cause of cancer among people who don’t smoke. The radon gas can build up anywhere from your home, offices, buildings, and apartments. Being a radioactive gas, we often get confused about whether radon is a noble gas or not.
Considering the importance and impact of this gas, we have thought to bring an answer to the question and to inform you about the crucial characteristics of noble gas and radon. Coming up with this article in this regard, you will have all the required information you need, and at the end of it, you will have the answer to the question: is radon a noble gas?
To make you understand better, let’s have a quick overview of what does it mean by noble gas and which gases lie in the category.
What is a noble gas?
You must have read about the periodic table in your school life. It shows you chemical elements in an organized manner. Noble gas refers to the group of seven chemical elements, or you can say the gases, that make up a separate group in a periodic table.
Typically, the noble gases are odorless, non-flammable gases with no color and taste. Each noble gas has its own properties, and its use mainly depends on chemical specifications.
Without going into the details of chemical features, here are the gases that lie within the category of noble gas, also showing their periodic symbols.
- Argon (Ar)
- Helium (He)
- Xenon (Xe)
- Krypton (Kr)
- Neon (Ne)
- Radon (Rn)
- Oganesson (Og)
What is radon?
Radon with an atomic symbol (Ra), having an atomic number 86, is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil and rocks under the ground. Radon is a noble gas, meaning it can travel through mud and water easily and seep through cracks and gaps in the foundation of our homes. As the gas is not visible and you cannot sense it, the only way to determine its presence is the radon test that you can conduct yourself or call a professional team for it.
The testing becomes necessary because exposure to radon can cause lung cancer and other deadly diseases; thus, it is extremely harmful.
Is radon a noble gas or not?
Knowing what radon is and what the noble gases are, it is necessary to identify if radon is a noble gas or not. Given the facts, radon is a member of the zero-valence elements and in addition to that, as you can see from the above list, radon lies in the category of noble gases. Thus, it is clarified now that radon is a noble gas even though it is a radioactive gas and is considered as a health hazard.
Moreover, it is of more importance that you know how to deal with it in case it is present in your house or in your surroundings.
No matter where you live, you should know how to test for radon in your home. Radon can also be found in water, and therefore, you should also see how to test for radon in water. The cancer-causing properties of radon make us all frightened, but with precautionary measures, we can avoid it and save ourselves from exposure.
Conclusion
Now that we understand that radon is a noble gas, we can’t forget how harmful it can be; it is extremely dangerous and leads to severe health risks. Therefore, you must make yourself familiar with what is radon gas and what is the best way to mitigate radon?