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Naming History
Helium is named after the Greek Titan of the sun, Helios, due to the discovery being linked to unknown yellow spectral lines from the Sun.
Discovery
Helium is one of three elements created during the Big Bang (others being Hydrogen & Lithium). Helium is one of the elements that was first discovered on the sun before being found on Earth. Helium was first observed on Earth in 1868 when Pierre J.C. Janssen observed a yellow line in a corona spectrum during a solar eclipse. Later that year two other chemists Joseph Norman Lockyer and Edward Frankland observed the same spectral line and attributed it to a new element which they called Helium. It wasn't until 1889, when Sir William Ramsay was able to isolate a sample of Helium proving Lockyer and Frankland correct.
Characteristics
Helium is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless Noble Gas, which means that is an inert element, and that it does not reactive with other substances.
Like Hydrogen, Helium is lighter than air, which has made it an attractive alternative to the more flammable Hydrogen in airships.
Since the speed of sound travels three times faster in Helium than in air, inhalation of helium and speaking will result in a duck-like vocal quality.
The atmosphere of Earth contains approximately 5 parts per million (ppm) Helium.
Traces of Helium can be found in blood, and this arises from air, containing Helium, dissolved in the blood.
Helium found in biological systems can also arise from the radioactive decay of Uranium atoms in bones.
Liquid Helium exists at extremely low temperatures (-452 °F, -269 °C). This abilty allows for liquid Helium to be used as a cooling agent.
Naturally Occurring Minerals
There is very little Helium found in naturally occurring minerals due to the fact that Helium exists as a gas and is chemically inert. Helium is produced deep in the earth by radioactive decay and has been found to collect in natural gas reserves. Determination of the amount of Helium trapped within Uranium and Thorium-containing minerals, allows for them to be dated.
Where can I find this element @ home
Helium is not commonly found in the home, but it can be found in party balloons from party stores.
The sun and Jupiter contain about 24 % Helium.