| Helium |
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Physical Properties
Color - Colorless
Odor - Odorless
Density - \(0.00000592 \; lbm/in^3 \; (0.000164 \; g/cc )\)
Molar Mass - \(4.0026 \; g/mol \;(4.0026 \; g/mol)\)
Chemical Properties
Atomic Mass - \(2\)
Chemical Formula - \(He\)
State of Matter - Gas
Flammability - Non Flammable
Thermal Properties
Melting Point - \(-457.96 \; F^\circ \; (-272.2 \; C^\circ)\)
Boiling Point - \(-452.1 \; F^\circ \; (-268.9 \; C^\circ)\)
Specific Heat Capacity - \(1.241 \; BTU/lbF^\circ \; (5.193 \; J/gC^\circ )\)
Thermal Conductivity - \(0.524 \; BTUin/hrft^3 \; F^\circ \;\)@\(\; 0.00 \; psi \; -280 \; F^\circ \; (0.0755 \; W/mK \;\)@\(\; 0.00 \; MPa \; -173 \; C^\circ )\)
Optical Properties
Refractive Index - \(1.02451 \;\)@\(\; -452 \; F^\circ \; \lambda \; 546 \; mm \; (1.02451 \;\)@\(\; -269 \; C^\circ \; \lambda \; 546 \; mm)\)
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Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-toxic gas that is the second lightest and second most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen. As a noble gas, it is chemically inert, meaning it does not readily react with other elements under normal conditions. This property, combined with its extremely low boiling point of , makes it invaluable in a wide range of applications.
While most people are familiar with its use in filling balloons and airships due to its non-flammable and lighter-than-air nature, helium is a critical resource in many high-tech and scientific fields. Liquid helium is essential for cryogenics, where it's used to cool the superconducting magnets in MRI machines, NMR spectrometers, and particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider. It is also used as a protective atmosphere in arc welding and in the manufacturing of semiconductors and fiber optics. On Earth, helium is primarily extracted from natural gas deposits, where it is formed as a product of the radioactive decay of elements like uranium and thorium.
