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Why do noble gases have very low chemical reactivity?
Because they have completely filled valence shells
Because they are radioactive
Because they exist in gaseous state
Because they have high electronegativity
Because they have completely filled valence shells
Noble gases are characterized by a stable electronic configuration where their outermost valence shells are completely filled with electrons (an octet, except for helium which has a duplet). This stable configuration makes them energetically favorable and chemically inert, as they do not need to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve stability.
Noble gases are characterized by a stable electronic configuration where their outermost valence shells are completely filled with electrons (an octet, except for helium which has a duplet). This stable configuration makes them energetically favorable and chemically inert, as they do not need to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve stability.
Noble gases form Group 18 of the Modern Periodic Table, proposed by Henry Moseley, based on atomic number rather than atomic mass.
Group 18 elements are also known as inert gases or rare gases.
Helium has 2 electrons in its valence shell, while neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon have 8 electrons in their outer shells.
High ionization energy and zero electron affinity are characteristic properties of noble gases.
Xenon is the only noble gas that forms a significant number of stable compounds, primarily with highly electronegative elements like fluorine and oxygen.
Option B is incorrect because most noble gases are stable and non-radioactive, with the exception of Radon, which is radioactive.
Option D is incorrect as noble gases have very low or near-zero electronegativity because they do not attract shared electrons.
Argon is the most abundant noble gas in the Earth's atmosphere, constituting approximately 0.93% by volume.
A is correct тАФ Noble gases possess a stable electronic configuration with fully filled valence shells, making them chemically inert under standard conditions.
When studying Periodic Table trends, remember that ionization enthalpy increases across a period but decreases down a group, which helps explain why the reactivity of noble gases varies slightly down the group.