Is helium a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture or compound or element
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Helium is an element.
An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. It is a fundamental building block of matter, and helium (He) fits this definition perfectly. It is one of the 118 known elements on the periodic table and is classified as a noble gas. The atomic number of helium is 2, which means it has two protons in its nucleus. It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas at room temperature, and it is the second lightest element in the universe, after hydrogen.
Helium is not a compound because it does not consist of two or more different elements chemically bonded together. For instance, water (H₂O) is a compound made of hydrogen and oxygen, but helium consists of only helium atoms. It is also not a mixture because mixtures involve the physical combination of two or more substances in which each substance retains its individual properties. Helium, when found in its pure form, is just one substance and does not mix with anything else at the molecular level.
In nature, helium is found in trace amounts in the Earth’s atmosphere, but it is more abundant in stars, where it is produced through nuclear fusion processes. On Earth, most helium is obtained by extracting it from natural gas deposits. Because of its inert nature (due to its full outer electron shell), helium is chemically non-reactive. This makes it particularly useful in applications that require a non-reactive environment, such as in balloons, as a cooling agent in cryogenics, and even in medical technologies like MRI machines.
Thus, helium is a pure element, distinct from mixtures or compounds.
