On the periodic table, group 18 is traditionally called the noble gases.
The noble gases are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson. They occupy the far-right column of the standard periodic table. Their atoms generally have filled outer electron shells, which makes them unusually unreactive compared with many neighboring elements.
The name “noble” compares their low chemical reactivity with the reluctance of nobility to mix socially. They are not completely inert: xenon forms several compounds, and other noble gases can participate in specialized chemical reactions under suitable conditions.
Helium and neon are lighter gases, while radon is radioactive. Noble gases are used in lighting, welding atmospheres, cryogenics, lasers, and leak detection. Argon is especially common in industrial applications because it is abundant and chemically stable.