[tashkent]

Greetings everyone!

I'd like to know the principle on how the xenon lamp works?  I encountered this confusing question in the GRE Chemistry Exam recently.  It has something to do with the interaction of Xenon and Fluorine, forming XeF6.  Some of the choices were: Xenon photodissociates from ground to excited state; Fluorine photodissociates from ground to excited state...I forgot the other three choices.  I will appreciate any explanation from u guys.  My friend told me that fluorine should photodissociate, since its p orbitals are not completely filled...

Hope u can shed some light on this matter.  Thank you.

Regards,
Tashkent

[tashkent]

Wah!  Inorganic chemists are very quiet about this topic

Anyway, I'm sad coz I've read from Atkins that XeF2 is formed in a glass bulb where xenon and fluorine are present and then exposed to sunlight.  Fluorine undergoes photodissociation , then photochemically generated F atoms react with Xe atoms.  I should've thought about this, since xenon cannot photodissociate anymore, due to its noble gas configuration...I'm wondering if that's right...

Oh well, I'll just shed a tear coz I haven't thought of this during the GRE Chemistry exam

Listening to Expose's "I'll Never Get Over You",
Tashkent

[Carbon13]

You'll learn about xenon lamps in analytical/instrumental chem.  They are usually used in spectrofluoroeters where a source of continuum radiation is needed.  The spectrum is I think about a few hundred to 1300nm and emists blackbody radiation, I think...