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Noble Gases

Noble Gases

The elements in group 18 are noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon). They earned the name “noble” because they were assumed to be nonreactive since they have filled valence shells. In 1962, Dr. Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia proved this assumption to be false.

The Equilibrium Constant

The Equilibrium Constant

Consider the oxidation of sulfur dioxide:

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.

Kinetic Theory of an Ideal Gas

Kinetic Theory of an Ideal Gas

A mole is defined as the amount of any substance that contains as many molecules as there are atoms in exactly 12 grams of carbon-12. An Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro (1776–1856) formed the hypothesis that equal volumes of gas at equal pressure and temperature contain equal numbers of molecules, independent of the type of gas. Later, the hypothesis was developed to form the SI unit for measuring the amount of any substance.
The number of molecules in one mole is called...

Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas III

Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas III

The number of independent ways a gas molecule can move along straight line, rotate, and vibrate is called its degrees of freedom. Supposing d represents the number of degrees of freedom of an ideal gas, the molar heat capacity at constant volume of an ideal gas in terms of d is

The Atomic Theory of Matter

The Atomic Theory of Matter

The earliest recorded discussion of the basic structure of matter comes from ancient Greek philosophers. Leucippus and Democritus argued that all matter was composed of small, finite particles that they called atomos, meaning “indivisible.” Later, Aristotle and others came to the conclusion that matter consisted of various combinations of the four “elements” — fire, earth, air, and water — and could be infinitely divided. Interestingly, these philosophers...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Vibrational Spectra of a N719-Chromophore/Titania Interface from Empirical-Potential Molecular-Dynamics Simulation, Solvated by a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid

Vibrational Spectra of a N719-Chromophore/Titania Interface from Empirical-Potential Molecular-Dynamics Simulation, Solvated by a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid

Published on: January 25, 2020

Copernicium: A Relativistic Noble Liquid.

Jan-Michael Mewes^1,2, Odile R Smits¹, Georg Kresse³

¹Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics, The New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study, Massey University Auckland, 0632, Auckland, New Zealand.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|October 10, 2019

Summary

Superheavy copernicium (Cn) is a volatile liquid, not a solid metal as previously suggested. Its unique properties, including a large band gap, align with noble-gas behavior due to relativistic effects.

Keywords:

aggregate states copernicium free-energy calculations melting point superheavy elements

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Area of Science:

Quantum chemistry
Relativistic effects
Superheavy elements

Background:

The chemical nature and aggregate state of copernicium (Cn) have been debated.
Pitzer predicted noble-gas-like behavior, while experiments suggested metallic character.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the physicochemical properties of copernicium.
To resolve the discrepancies regarding its chemical nature and aggregate state.

Main Methods:

First-principles free-energy calculations were employed.
Relativistic effects were analyzed in both relativistic and non-relativistic limits.

Main Results:

Copernicium (Cn) is predicted to be a volatile liquid with melting and boiling points of 283±11 K and 340±10 K.
Cn exhibits a large band gap (6.4 eV) and is bound by dispersion, indicating noble-gas-like character.
These properties are attributed to strong scalar-relativistic effects, differentiating Cn from lighter Group 12 metals.

Conclusions:

Copernicium's behavior is consistent with Pitzer's initial hypothesis of noble-gas-like properties.
Relativistic effects are crucial in determining Cn's unique chemical nature and aggregate state.
In the absence of relativistic effects, Cn would behave as a typical Group 12 metal.