Is Hydrogen a Noble Gas? Why?

No, hydrogen is not a noble gas. Noble gases are elements in the periodic table that are chemically inert, meaning they do not react with other elements. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is a very reactive element. ¹ It can combine with many other elements to form compounds.

Well, this was just a simple answer. But there are few more things to know about this topic which will make your concept super clear.

So let’s dive right into it.

Why is hydrogen not a noble gas?

Hydrogen is not a noble gas because it has only one electron in its outer shell, while noble gases (except helium) have eight electrons in their outer shells. ² This means that hydrogen is more reactive than noble gases, and is more likely to form chemical bonds with other elements.

Noble gases are located in the rightmost column of the periodic table, and are characterized by their low reactivity. ³

This is because they have a full outer shell of electrons, which makes them very stable. 

Hydrogen, on the other hand, only has one electron in its outer shell, which makes it more reactive. ⁴

As a result of its higher reactivity, hydrogen is more likely to form chemical bonds with other elements than noble gases. 

This makes hydrogen an important element in many chemical reactions, and is one of the reasons why it is so abundant in the universe. ⁵

Differences between hydrogen and other noble gases

Here are the main differences between hydrogen and other noble gases:

• Number of electrons in the outer shell: Hydrogen has only one electron in its outer shell, while other noble gases (except helium) have eight electrons in their outer shells. ⁶
• Reactivity: Hydrogen is more reactive than other noble gases because it is more likely to lose or gain an electron in order to achieve a full outer shell. ⁷
• Chemical properties: Hydrogen is more likely to form chemical bonds with other elements than other noble gases. ⁸

In summary, hydrogen is different from other noble gases in its number of electrons in the outer shell, reactivity, and chemical properties.

What similarities does hydrogen and noble gas have?

Hydrogen and noble gases have the following similarities:

1. They are all gases at room temperature.
2. They are all colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
3. They all have low melting and boiling points. ^{9 10}
4. They all have low densities. ¹¹
5. They all have higher ionization energies. ^{12 13}

Despite these similarities, hydrogen is not considered to be a noble gas because it has only one electron in its valence shell. Noble gases, on the other hand, have eight electrons in their valence shells (except helium). This difference in electron configuration makes hydrogen more reactive than noble gases.

Why is hydrogen placed in group 1 (along with metals)?

Hydrogen is placed in group 1 (along with metals) because it has similar chemical properties to the alkali metals. 

Hydrogen has one electron in its valence shell, like the alkali metals. ¹⁴ It can also lose this electron to form a positive ion, like the alkali metals. Hydrogen also forms compounds with other elements in a similar way to the alkali metals.

However, hydrogen is not a metal. It is a gas at room temperature, while metals are solids. Hydrogen also has a higher ionization energy than the alkali metals, which means that it is more difficult to remove an electron from hydrogen. ¹⁵

Despite these differences, hydrogen is still placed in group 1 because of its similar chemical properties to the alkali metals.

Further reading

Is Hydrogen an Alkali Metal?
What Group is Hydrogen in?
Why is Hydrogen in Group 1?
Is Hydrogen Reactive?
Why is Hydrogen Diatomic? 

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