Meaning & use
inert gas
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablechemistrytechnical
A gas that does not easily react chemically with other substances.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an inert gas' or 'inert gases' when talking about types of gas.
Patterns
- an inert gas
- inert gases
- use something as an inert gas
Helium is an inert gas, so it is safe to use in balloons.
The container was filled with an inert gas to keep the food fresh.
Argon is an inert gas that is often used in light bulbs.
nouncountablechemistryspecialist
Any of the elements in group 18 of the periodic table, such as helium, neon, or argon.
Grammar: In this sense, 'inert gas' is a synonym for 'noble gas'; it is countable and often used in the plural.
Patterns
- the inert gases
- an inert gas such as helium
- a member of the inert gases
The inert gases are in the far right column of the periodic table.
Neon is one of the inert gases and glows red-orange in signs.
Chemists once thought that the inert gases could not form any compounds at all.
Word forms
| plural | inert gases |
|---|
Common combinations
- an inert gas atmosphere
- The welding was done in an inert gas atmosphere to prevent oxidation.
- fill with an inert gas
- They fill the packets with an inert gas to stop the chips from going stale.
- inert gas welding
- Inert gas welding is common in the aerospace industry.
- a cylinder of inert gas
- The lab keeps a cylinder of inert gas next to the fume hood.
Synonyms and how they differ
- noble gas
- Use 'noble gas' specifically for the chemical elements in group 18; 'inert gas' is wider and can also mean any gas used to prevent reactions.
- nonreactive gas
- This is a more general description rather than a technical term; it fits when you are explaining the idea to a non-specialist.
Word family
- inert adjective
- Not reacting chemically; also used for people or things that are lifeless or slow.
- inertness noun
- The state of being chemically unreactive or lacking movement.
Commonly confused: inert gas or inertia? inert gas or noble gas?
inert gas vs inertia
Inertia is a physics term for an object's resistance to a change in motion; it is not a type of gas. 'Inert' is the adjective you want for gases.
inert gas vs noble gas
All noble gases are inert gases, but not all inert gases are noble gases: nitrogen and carbon dioxide can act as inert gases in some industrial processes.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'inert gas' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 is correct because an inert gas is used where you want a gas that will not react or burn. Option 1 is wrong because engines use fuel, not inert gas, to produce power. Option 2 is wrong because 'inert gas' is a substance, not a feeling. Option 3 is wrong because inert gases are gases, not liquid metals.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inert gas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.