A heavy, colorless noble gas, element 54, valued in specialized lighting, space propulsion, imaging, anesthesia research, and reactive fluorine chemistry.
A heavy, colorless noble gas with symbol Xe and atomic number 54, found in tiny amounts in air and used where a dense, mostly unreactive gas is useful.
Examples
The laboratory ordered a cylinder of xenon for the detector.
The periodic table lists xenon under the symbol Xe.
A xenon flash lit the studio for a fraction of a second.
Some spacecraft use ion engines that accelerate xenon propellant.
Doctors have studied xenon as an inhaled anesthetic.
Trace amounts of xenon occur naturally in the atmosphere.
Named in 1898 by William Ramsay and Morris Travers after Greek xenon, neuter of xenos, meaning strange or foreign, after the gas was isolated from residues of liquefied air.
FAQ
What does xenon mean?
Xenon is the chemical element with symbol Xe and atomic number 54.
Is xenon a gas?
Yes. Xenon is a colorless, odorless noble gas at ordinary temperatures.
What is xenon used for?
Xenon is used in specialized lamps, flash tubes, ion propulsion, imaging work, and anesthesia research.
Where does the name xenon come from?
Xenon comes from Greek xenos, meaning strange or foreign.
Is xenon the same as neon?
No. Xenon and neon are separate noble gases with different atomic numbers and uses.
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Ivory Chipmunk
Jun 30
my chem lecturer used xenon to break the 'inert gases never react' rule. XeF2, XeF4 and XeF6 are real, they just need fluorine and proper lab conditions
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Zany Hornbill
Jun 24
Car forums get messy with this word. In a headlight listing, xenon may mean real HID with a ballast, or just a halogen bulb with xenon fill or blue tint. dont buy parts from that word alone