Uses of Halogens

The halogens become less reactive as you go down the

group. Fluorine, at the top of the group, is the most
reactive halogen. It is extremely dangerous, causing severe
chemical burns on contact with skin
The halogens react with metals to make salts called metal
halides.
metal + halogen metal halide
For example, sodium reacts with chlorine to make sodium
chloride (common salt).
sodium + chlorine sodium chloride
Halogens are bleaching agents. They will remove the
colour of dyes. Chlorine is used to bleach wood pulp to
make white paper.
Halogens kill bacteria. Chlorine is added to drinking water
at very low concentrations. This kills any harmful bacteria
in the water, making it safe to drink. Chlorine is also added
to the water in swimming pools.
Because the halogens are very reactive and poisonous, care
must be taken when using them. Chlorine is used only in a
fume cupboard. Iodine should not be handled (it will
damage the skin). Gloves may be used, and goggles should
be worn.

Uses of Noble Gases

The noble gases are all chemically unreactive gases.

Helium is used in balloons and airships. It is much less dense

than air, so balloons filled with it float upwards. Neon is used in
advertising signs, it glows when electricity is passed through it.
Different uncolored neon lights can be made by coating the inside
of the glass tubing of the lights with other chemicals. Argon is
used in light bulbs. The very thin metal filament inside the bulb
would react with oxygen and burn away if the bulb were filled with
air instead of argon. Argon stops burning because it is unreactive.
Krypton is used in lasers. Krypton lasers are used by surgeons to
treat certain eye problems and to remove birthmarks. Xenon is
used for various applications. From incandescent lighting, to
development in x-rays, and much more. Incandescent lighting
uses Xenon because less energy can be used to produce the same
amount of light output as a normal incandescent lamp. Xenon has
also made it possible to obtain better x-rays with reduced
amounts of radiation.
Radon has been said to be the second
most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking.
However, it can be found in various beneficial applications as well.
For examples through: radiotherapy, relief from arthritis. In
radiotherapy, radon has been used in implantable seeds, made of
glass or gold, primarily used to treat cancers. For arthritis, its
been said that exposure to radon mitigates auto-immune diseases
such as arthritis.
References:
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Inorganic_Chemistry/Descriptive_Chemistry/pBlock_Elements/Group_18%3A_The_Noble_Gases
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_pre_2011/periodi
c_table/group7rev1.shtml
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/halogens-characteristics-of-halogens.html

By: Ema Kumi