---
title: "A student investigates the physical properties of noble gases to understand the relationship between atomic structure and the strength of intermolecular forces. The table below lists four noble gases and their electron counts.  | Element | Atomic number | Number of electrons | | :— | :— | :— | | \\(\\text{Ne}\\) | \\(10\\) | \\(10\\) | | \\(\\text{Ar}\\) | \\(18\\) | \\(18\\) | | \\(\\text{Kr}\\) | \\(36\\) | \\(36\\) | | \\(\\text{Xe}\\) | \\(54\\) | \\(54\\) |  Which of the following correctly ranks these elements from highest to lowest normal boiling point and provides the correct justification?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119639/"
date_modified: "2026-08-21T08:11:54+00:00"
---

# A student investigates the physical properties of noble gases to understand the relationship between atomic structure and the strength of intermolecular forces. The table below lists four noble gases and their electron counts.

| Element | Atomic number | Number of electrons |
| :— | :— | :— |
| \(\text{Ne}\) | \(10\) | \(10\) |
| \(\text{Ar}\) | \(18\) | \(18\) |
| \(\text{Kr}\) | \(36\) | \(36\) |
| \(\text{Xe}\) | \(54\) | \(54\) |

Which of the following correctly ranks these elements from highest to lowest normal boiling point and provides the correct justification?

A student investigates the physical properties of noble gases to understand the relationship between atomic structure and the strength of intermolecular forces. The table below lists four noble gases and their electron counts.

| Element | Atomic number | Number of electrons |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| \(\text{Ne}\) | \(10\) | \(10\) |
| \(\text{Ar}\) | \(18\) | \(18\) |
| \(\text{Kr}\) | \(36\) | \(36\) |
| \(\text{Xe}\) | \(54\) | \(54\) |

Which of the following correctly ranks these elements from highest to lowest normal boiling point and provides the correct justification?

- **A.** \(\text{Ne} > \text{Ar} > \text{Kr} > \text{Xe}\), because smaller atoms have a greater effective nuclear charge, which creates stronger temporary dipoles.
- **B.** \(\text{Ne} > \text{Ar} > \text{Kr} > \text{Xe}\), because atoms with fewer electrons experience less electron-electron repulsion, allowing them to pack more tightly in the liquid phase.
- **C.** \(\text{Xe} > \text{Kr} > \text{Ar} > \text{Ne}\), because larger atoms have stronger covalent bonds that require more thermal energy to break during vaporization.
- **D.** \(\text{Xe} > \text{Kr} > \text{Ar} > \text{Ne}\), because larger atoms have larger, more polarizable electron clouds, resulting in stronger London dispersion forces.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119639/*