What Is Neon?

neon

Neon is a chemical element found in the Earth’s atmosphere. This rare gas glows a bright red when excited. It is a member of the noble gas family.

Although it is rare, neon is used in advertising signs and other applications. It is often used in high voltage indicators, television tubes, and lightning arrestors. The element is also used in many other gases to generate different colors.

Because neon is inert, it is not easily mixed with other elements. Thus, it can be separated into separate components by fractional distillation. However, the process is expensive. In addition, inhaling neon poses a danger to human health.

The element’s name comes from the Greek word neo, which means new. William Ramsay discovered the gas at University College London. He later discovered helium. Until then, it was not known which elements were the noble ones.

Another element that can be compared to neon is fluorine. Fluorine is the most reactive element in the periodic table.

When the element reaches its plasma state, it emits a spectral line that looks similar to that of the sun. In certain tubes, this light is a characteristic red neon spectral line.

One of the oldest uses of neon is in vacuum discharge tubes, which have long been used to produce the famous red neon spectral line. These tubes are also used in advertising signs. Originally, they were made of glass, and they bent into glowing letters.

Today, neon is a highly sought-after gas. It is used in all kinds of industries, including the electronics industry. The most common isotope is neon-20. But it is still difficult to find pure neon on earth.