2006-10-10 14:37:05 · 7 answers · asked by Th_hT 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
The noble gases don't form any molecules or ions because they have a full octet. Saying that all their electron shells are full.
However, recent research in noble gas chemistry has Radon, xenon, and even krypton forming bonds with highly reactive elements such as fluorine and chlorine.
2006-10-10 14:47:28 · answer #1 · answered by cece 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Noble gases are not inert and do form both molecules and ions. These are often short lived and transient in nature but the are formed. In fact the basis of eximer lasers are compounds that are formed when atoms such as Xe and Br are ionized and brought together to for XeBr*. The * denotes the compound is in the excited state (hence the name eximer). The eximers can be ionized or not and can be in any number of excited states. They typically decay when a photon is given off and the eximer returns to the ground state. It then falls apart. The wave length of these photons is typically in the UV region. This is why they find military application. They are invisible to the naked eye and and have extremely high energies.
There are hundreds if not thousands of known eximers. This is a very active area of research.
In addition noble elements are finding their way in to a number of stable organometalic type compounds. As always "stable" is a relative term.
2006-10-11 02:25:45 · answer #2 · answered by Chemguy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because, when atoms become anions or cations they do it as a way of getting noble gas stability. For example, when Na ([Ne]3s1) loses an electron (cation), it gets the same electronic structure of Ne (1s2-2s2-2p6); that is why Na has an oxidation number of 1+. Inert gasses do not form ions because, by just being the way they are, they have total stability and a full octet (they all have ns2np6 structure), so they do not have any need whatsoever to bond; however, under special conditions they do, such as in XeF4, but this is a special case, in which Xe holds 12 and not 8 electrons on its outer shell.
2006-10-10 14:48:30 · answer #3 · answered by Chemielieber 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they don't have any free electrons to bind with any other atoms. That is why they call them "inert" gas.
2006-10-10 14:39:42 · answer #4 · answered by mystic_golfer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
THe have the right number of electrons in their outer orbitals. Because of this they can't accept or donate electrons.
2006-10-10 15:00:29 · answer #5 · answered by xox_bass_player_xox 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mystic, for the win.
2006-10-10 14:45:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they do not accept or reject protons
2006-10-10 14:38:39 · answer #7 · answered by gussie r 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋