What is Krypton? Origin / Meaning of the name Krypton
The name originates from the Greek word 'kryptos' meaning hidden.
What is Krypton? Periodic Table Group and Classification of the Krypton Element
Elements can be classified based on their physical states (States of Matter) e.g. gas, solid or liquid. This element is a gas. Krypton is classified as an element in the 'Noble Gases' section which can be located in group 18 of the Periodic Table. The term 'Noble gas' derives from the Old High German word Edelgas from 'edili' meaning "noble". The name 'noble gases' is an allusion to the old, similarly termed 'Noble Metals'. The Noble Metals included gold, silver and platinum which were so called due to their long association with the aristocracy.
Facts about the Discovery and History of the Krypton Element
Krypton was discovered by William Ramsay and Morris Travers in 1898.
Sir William Ramsay (1852 - 1916)
Sir William Ramsay discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air". These elements included Argon, neon and Xenon. Ramsay also isolated Helium which had been observed in the spectrum of the sun but had not been found on earth. In 1910 Ramsay also made and characterized radon.
What is Krypton? Occurrence of the Krypton Element
The concentration of this gas in earth's atmosphere is about 1 ppm
Abundances of the element in different environments
% in Universe 4×10-6%
% in Sun N/A
% in Meteorites N/A
% in Earth's Crust 1.5×10-8%
% in Oceans 2.1×10-8%
% in Humans N/A
Associated Uses of Krypton
Photographic flash lamps
Gas discharge lamps
Fluorescent lamps
