Krypton
Krypton is a stable noble gas. It has an atomic number of 36. The name krypton comes from the Greek word kryptos meaning hidden. It is used in fluorescent lamps, flashbulbs, and as a wavelength standard. The metre used to be defined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths in a vacuum of krypton gas.[1]
Chemistry
Because it is a gas, it does not react with many elements. It is clear and has no taste or smell.[2] The atmosphere is only about one millionth part krypton.[2] Krypton has very few compounds.
Uses
The main use for krypton is to make light. There is one main type of krypton light bulbs. This is called a gas discharge lamp. There are three main types of these. First is a low energy gas discharge lamp or "neon light". Low energy gas discharge lights made from krypton are near white to green. Second is a high energy short length of time gas discharge light or "flash bulb". These are mostly used for photography. They are bright blue-white. Third is a high energy gas discharge light. This third kind is mostly used to light airport runways. They are also bright blue-white.
History
Krypton was found by Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers in Great Britain in 1898.[3] Ramsay was given the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on noble gases.[4] It was a difficult gas to discover; Ramsay suspected it existed but only found it by removing other gases.[5] This is why he gave it the name Krypton.[5] There is no mineral called Kryptonite or planet called Krypton, which both feature in the Superman comics by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.[5] The fictional planet is probably better known than the real chemical element called Krypton.[5] It took until 1962 until a chemical compound containing Krypton was found.[6]
Krypton Media
Sir William Ramsay, the discoverer of krypton
Kr(H2)4 and H2 solids formed in a diamond anvil cell
Structure of Kr(H2)4. Krypton octahedra (green) are surrounded by randomly oriented hydrogen molecules.
Krypton gas discharge tube
Krypton compared to other anaesthetic gases (minimum alveolar concentration is an inverse indicator of potency)
Related pages
References
- ↑ "WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements". webelements.com. 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Krypton". Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology. 2006. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ↑ Friend, John Newton (1914). A text-book of inorganic chemistry, Volume 1. Griffin & Company. p. 346. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ↑ James, Laylin K. (1993). Nobel laureates in chemistry, 1901–1992. Chemical Heritage Foundation. p. 23. ISBN 0841226903. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Alfred, Randy (30 May 2008). "May 30, 1898: Krypton Discovered, Decades Before Superman Arrives". wired.com. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
- ↑ John F. Lehmann, Hélène P. A. Mercier, Gary J. Schrobilgen: The chemistry of krypton. In: Coordination Chemistry Reviews. 233/234, 2002, S. 1–39, doi:10.1016/S0010-8545(02)00202-3.
