This series uses a common or well-known element to look at the groups of the periodic table and to show the similarities and differences between elements. It uses full-colour illustration of the periodic table and shows the chemical symbol for each element in place, alongside its neighbours. Chemical formulae for common compounds are also shown. Information boxes and tables contain listings of facts and figures. Chemical reactions are interpreted as word equations, and timelines chart the history and discovery of the elements. This title investigates why noble gases are the only gases found as single atoms and why they don't even react with themselves. It guides you through the discovery and isolation of each gas and recent experiments by scientists to make noble gas compounds. It also explains why helium balloons float, neon lights glow and argon atmospheres protect metals from air.