When you think of neon, you probably picture the glowing red signs in store windows. But neon is much more than just a sign component: it’s a chemical element with some pretty intriguing properties and uses.
Neon, also known as neos or neo, is found in our atmosphere and in the rocks in Earth’s crust. It’s an inert gas that doesn’t burn and is colorless, odorless and lighter than air (although it does have a low boiling point). It makes up a small part of the Earth’s atmosphere and was discovered in 1898 by British scientists William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers. Their experiment involved placing a mixture of gases, including neon, in an electric discharge tube that is similar to those used for neon signs. When electricity is passed through the tube, it strips electrons from the atoms of the neon in the tube, leaving positively charged ions. The ions then move around the tube, bumping into other atoms and emitting light. The light color depends on how far apart the atoms are from each other, and also how much energy they have.
Neon is part of the noble gas family, which includes helium, argon, krypton and xenon. These elements are called noble because they have full valence shells and are very stable and least reactive under standard conditions. Like the other noble gases, neon conducts electricity and lights up when an electric current runs through it. The name “neon” derives from the Greek word for new, neos.
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