Neon (pronounced NEE-on) is a rare gas found in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is one of the noble gases, which means it is highly stable and relatively nonreactive.
It is the second lightest of all noble gases, after helium. It has an atomic number of 10.
The element is named from the Greek word for new, neos.
This element was discovered in 1898 by Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay and his student Morris Travers. Like krypton, it was discovered by studying liquefied air.
Although neon is a very rare element, it is very important to the Earth. It is used to make luminous signs and other products that use it as an ingredient.
It is also a simple asphyxiant, meaning it can kill someone if inhaled or swallowed. Its presence can cause rapid breathing, lack of mental alertness, nausea and vomiting, loss of muscular coordination, emotional instability and eventual death.
Neon is also known for being an electronegative element, which means it does not bond with other atoms. This makes it difficult to measure using the Pauling electronegativity scale, which uses chemical bond energy measurements.
The Allen electronegativity scale, on the other hand, is based on atomic energy measurements and places neon right behind fluorine in its rankings.
Because of this, neon is a very useful element for making things that need to stand out, such as luminous signs and other products. It can also be used to create bright lights that people will notice and want to see more of.
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