What Does
Helium (He) Mean?
Helium is an element on the periodic table with an atomic number of 2. Helium is a noble gas, and it is the lightest in the entire group of noble gases. Helium is the second most common element in the universe.
Corrosionpedia Explains Helium (He)
Helium gets its name from the Greek word helios, which means sun. It was discovered by Sir William Ramsay in 1895.
Helium has some special properties that make it useful for many applications. Since it is an inert gas, it is used to shield objects from the regular atmosphere, such as in welding, and other corrosive environments. Helium will not solidify under normal atmospheric pressures, even at absolute zero. Since it has such a low melting point temperature, it is used in many cryogenic applications. Helium is lighter than air, so it is often used to inflate objects such as balloons. It is also used for leak testing and as a cooling medium.