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No. Helium is a noble gas and has a full compliment of electrons in the first 'orbit' of its atoms. This makes it very, very stable and inert. Therefore helium forms no compounds with any other element. As burning in air by definition is the reaction between the substance and oxygen in the air to form an oxide (e.g. charcoal (carbon) burns in air on your barbecue to form carbon dioxide), as helium will not react with oxygen it will not burn. Helium is also lighter than air. Therefore, helium is sometimes used to fill airships to provide a lift. Airships were once filled with hydrogen as hydrogen is also lighter than air, but several disasters happened where the airship caught fire killing the occupants inside- as hydrogen reacts well with the oxygen in the air (even explosively) form hydrogen oxide (water vapour). As helium is so inert,. it is very useful AND safe for such a use nowadays.

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17y ago

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