When we think of neon colors, we immediately imagine bright red-orange signage on the Las Vegas strip or buzzing bar signs in Denver. But did you know that this eye-catching hue actually has a scientific background?
Neon is a noble gas, part of group 18 in the Periodic Table. It’s colorless when in a pure state, but when placed inside a tube and given an electric current, it emits a bright red-orange glow (or discharge). This occurs because the electrons of atoms in neon absorb the supplied energy, and move to higher orbits around their nucleus. The electrons then return to their original ground state, releasing the energy in the form of a photon of light.
The chemical element’s name is derived from the Greek word neos, meaning “new.” Like the other noble gases helium, argon and xenon, it was discovered by British chemists Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers while they were studying liquefied air in 1898. They froze a sample of air, evaporated it, and observed that the glass tube glowed a brilliant crimson when it was run through a high voltage electric discharge.
The neon we’re familiar with on our screens and streets is a safe atmospheric gas that doesn’t pose any threat to the environment, but if inhaled at high concentrations it can be dangerous as an asphyxiant because it replaces oxygen in the lungs, causing unconsciousness. Symptoms of asphyxiation include rapid respirations, loss of consciousness, confusion and disorientation, and may ultimately lead to coma and death.
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