Which of the following is not true about helium? — p Block Elements Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: Check the properties of helium. Helium indeed has the lowest boiling point of any element (4.2 K) and the highest first ionization energy (24.6 eV). Because of its incredibly small atomic radius, it easily diffuses through solid barriers like rubber and plastics. Step 2: Clathrate compounds are cage-like host-guest complexes where noble gas atoms are trapped inside cavities of a host crystal lattice (such as quinol or ice). Step 3: Helium and neon are too small to be efficiently retained within these host cavities and escape easily, meaning they cannot form stable clathrate compounds. Thus, statement (d) is incorrect.