# Explain why the noble gases in Group 0 of the periodic table are described as chemically inert, and describe the trend in boiling points of the noble gases as you go down Group 0, explaining why this trend occurs.

> Edexcel A-Level Chemistry (9CH0) — Topic 2 Inorganic chemistry and the Periodic Table · Explain · 5 marks

> The noble gases include helium, neon, argon, krypton and xenon. They are widely used in industry and everyday life, for example in lighting and as inert atmospheres for welding.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Noble gases have a full outer shell of electrons (eight electrons in the outer shell, or two for helium)
2. Because the outer shell is full, noble gases do not need to gain, lose, or share electrons, so they do not form chemical bonds / do not react
3. Boiling points increase as you go down Group 0 (from helium to xenon)
4. As you go down the group, the atoms have more electrons / are larger
5. More electrons means stronger intermolecular forces (London dispersion forces / van der Waals forces) between atoms, so more energy is needed to overcome them, giving a higher boiling point

## Key terms

- [noble gases](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/noble-gases)
- [Group 0](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/group-0)
- [chemically inert](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/chemically-inert)
- [boiling point](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/boiling-point)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Edexcel A-Level Chemistry (9CH0)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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