Helium Helium (He) is a colorless,
odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, nearly inert monatomic chemical element that
heads the noble gas series in the periodic table and whose atomic number is 2.
Its boiling and melting points are the lowest among the elements and it exits
only as a gas except in extreme conditions. Helium is used for many purposes
that require one or more of its unique properties; low boiling point, low
density, low solubility, high thermal conductivity, or its inertness. Helium is
used in cryogenics, for deep-sea breathing systems, to cool superconducting
magnets, in helium dating, for inflating balloons, for providing lift in
airships and as a protective gas for many industrial uses (such as arch welding
and growing silicon wafers)