Known for its bright, vivid hues, neon is synonymous with nightlife, urban streetwear, and the cyberpunk genre. It’s also popular in the design of electronic devices, such as laptops and phones. While the use of neon can be a great way to capture attention, it’s important to apply it sparingly to avoid overpowering your design.
Neon is a member of the noble gas group, which also includes helium, argon, krypton, and xenon. Its chemical reactivity is low, so it doesn’t form compounds and won’t react with other elements. Neon atoms have 10 electrons in their outer valence shell. When an electric current passes through a neon tube, the electrons become excited and jump to higher energy levels. This process is called ionization. When the electrons return to their normal states, they emit a photon of light. This light is what makes a neon sign glow.
The earliest neon signs were made from a mixture of gases, but today most luminous signage uses primarily argon and neon, or a combination of the two. The name “neon” was derived from the Greek word neos, meaning new. It was first discovered by William Ramsay and Morris Travers in 1898, after a sample of argon had been heated under high voltage and vaporized. The tube then glowed a striking red color.
Neon is mainly produced in large mass stars, but can also be extracted from liquid air. It’s used as a cryogenic refrigerant, since it has the smallest temperature range for which it can be a liquid. It is also found in the planet-forming disks around young stars and helps astronomers track the formation of new planets.