He Helium     Atomic number : 2 
    Relative atomic mass (12C = 12.0000) :  4.002602 
    P H Y S I C A L     D A T A
Group 18 noble gas
 
Density / kg m-3 :  n.a. [s.]; 128.8 [liq., b.p.]; 0.1785 [gas, 273 K]
 
Melting point / K :  0.95 (under pressure) 
 
Boiling point / K :  4.216
 
    D I S C O V E R Y
Helium was observed in the sun's spectrum during the eclipse of 1868 by Norman Lockyer and Edward Frankland.
 
    G E O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Abundances
 
Sun (relative to H = 1 × 1012) : 6.31 × 1010
 
Earth's crust / p.p.m. : 0.008
 
Atmosphere / p.p.m. (volume) : 5.2
 
Residence time / years : n.a.
 
Oxidation state : 0
 
  
 
Seawater / p.p.m. : 4 × 10-6
    B I O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Level in humans
 
Blood / mg dm-3 : trace
 
Bone / p.p.m. : nil
 
Liver / p.p.m. : nil
 
Muscle / p.p.m. : nil
 
  
 
Daily dietary intake : n.a., but low
 
Total mass of element
in average (70 kg) person :
n.a., but very small

 

NetElements II  

A portrait of helium is available on the Visual Elements site. Up to 200 individual items of information on this element are available in The Elements.


Text copyright John Emsley 1999.   HTML and page layout copyright Simon Hall 1999.
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NetElements II last modified October 27th, 1999