Helium is a stable, non-reactive gas with many uses, including as a lifting agent for balloons and a supercoolant in scientific experiments. It was discovered in 1868 and is extracted from natural gas. While non-toxic, excessive inhalation can be dangerous.
Helium is a chemical element found in great abundance throughout the universe, although it is not as widely distributed on Earth. It typically takes the form of a gas and leads the list of noble gases on the periodic table of elements. Like other noble gases, helium is extremely stable and does not readily form compounds with other elements. There are numerous uses for this gas and it is widely considered to be a very useful and valuable element.
Helium’s atomic number is two, making it the second lightest element. It is identified on the periodic table with the symbol He, and is the least reactive of the noble gases. Consequently, helium is one of the least reactive elements on Earth. Its extreme stability makes it a popular choice for a wide range of uses in situations where unstable materials are handled or where the use of other elements could be dangerous.
Helium was discovered in 1868 when astronomers observed a strange band of light during a solar eclipse. The band of light did not correlate with any known elements, and the observers realized they had identified a new gas, which they called “helium” from the Greek Helios, for “Sun.” Within 30 years, scientists managed to isolate and extract the gas from the mineral clevite.
Although helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, it can be hard to find on Earth. It is frequently extracted from natural gas, which can contain the element in concentrations ranging from 2 to 7%. The gas, extremely stable and non-reactive, became a fundamental tool during the First World War, when access to helium was severely limited, and this was repeated during the Second World War. Many of the gas’s potential uses may be military in nature, including use as a non-reactive buffer for arc welding and as a lifting agent for balloons of all sizes. Helium is also used as a supercoolant in scientific experimentation and in nuclear reactors.
Pure helium is non-toxic and exposure to the clear, odorless and tasteless gas should not pose a health risk. However, excessive inhalation of the gas can be dangerous, as it will act as asphyxiation. Also, if inhaled directly from a pressurized tank, it can cause lung damage, and commercial helium like that found in party balloons can be contaminated with other substances that aren’t healthy to inhale.
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