[traceurkid]

I calculated the energy of a gamma wave with the equation: E= hc / λ to be about 1.99200e-13 joules. I then looked up the ionization energy of neon, and its first ionization energy was 2080.7 kJ·mol⁻¹ (From Wikipedia). I divided that ionization energy by 6.022*10²³ to find the ionization energy for just one atom of Neon. It was 3.455e-18 joules.. Much lower than the energy a gamma wave has.

So, I ask, could we use gamma waves to ionize noble gases and make compounds with them?

[Arkcon]

I suppose gamma rays can ionize noble gasses, but then again, you can ionize them in a tube with an electric arc tube, that's how "neon lights" work.  I don't think just because they're ionized, that stable compounds have to form, otherwise, 'neon lights' wouldn't work.

[traceurkid]

Alright thanks, I didn't know that the noble gases were actually ionized in neon lights

[traceurkid]

As a follow-up question, why don't the gases form compounds to get a full valence shell?

[Borek]

As a follow-up question, why don't the gases form compounds to get a full valence shell?

H₂ + Cl₂ 2HCl

2H₂ + O₂ 2H₂O

What is wrong about these examples?

[orgopete]

Alright thanks, I didn't know that the noble gases were actually ionized in neon lights

I'm going to agree on principal, though I actually don't know whether they ionize or not.

Hydrogen emits visible light with electronic emissions between n = 2,3,4... A black body produces light at higher energies, but the electromagnetic emissions continue asymptotically toward zero. Therefore I conclude that a visible or invisible emission needn't indicate an ionization event.

Back to the point, it would seem that more than sufficient energy is present to ionize some elements, including noble gases. The ease and abundance of the ionization will depend on the element. If we took the second row elements (Li...F, Ne), which would be the easiest to knock an electron off of it to produce a cation? Which the most difficult? If an electron were dislodged from fluorine, for example, would it be more likely to capture an electron from another element or to share it? The answer is going to depend on the other element. What if it were lithium or neon?