Period 1 element (He) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, 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 exists only as a gas except in extreme conditions. Helium was discovered in 1868 by French astronomer Pierre Janssen, who first detected the substance as an unknown yellow spectral line signature in light from a solar eclipse. In 1903, large reserves of helium were found in the natural gas fields of the United States, which is by far the largest
Boiling chip Boiling chip A boiling chip, boiling stone, porous bits or anti-bumping granule is a tiny, unevenly shaped piece of substance added to liquids to make them boil more calmly. Boiling chips are frequently employed in distillation and heating. When a liquid becomes superheated, a particle of dust or a stirring rod can cause violent flash boiling. Boiling chips work by providing nucleation sites so the liquid boils smoothly without becoming superheated or bumping. Boiling chips should not be added to liquid that is already near its boiling point, as this could also induce flash boiling. The structure of a boiling