Physical Science Neon Portfolio

In 1898, the element Neon was discovered by Scottish chemist William Ramsay and chemist Morris Travers. William Ramsay cooled a sample of atmosphere until it was a liquid. He then boiled the liquid and captured the gases from it. He discovered three different gases including krypton, xenon, and neon.

The name neon comes from the Greek word for new, “neos”. They named it this because well, like every other element, it was new. It is not known for sure if neon exists naturally but there is evidence that this may be true. Neon is found in the Earth’s atmosphere but a very, very small percentage. Neon is the 5^th most sufficient element in the universe but 0.0018% of Earth’s atmosphere is neon. Stars also produce neon in the later stages of nuclear fusion.

After neon was founded and named in 1898, French engineer Georges Claude made a lamp from an electric tube of neon in 1910. They were introduced in 1923 and after that, the neon tubes were used in car dealership signs and soon would be introduced all over the world as a great advertising strategy.

Under normal conditions, neon can be found in the physical state of a colorless, odorless, noble gas. Neon’s main and most popular use today is to make neon-advertising signs. Neon discharges electricity at a normal current and voltage. If neon gas is filled in a tube, it produces a bright orange-red color that is easily caught by the eye with makes it a good way to advertise. If other elements are added to neon, the colors will change. Neon is used in a wide variety of other things including high-voltage indicators, lightning arrestors, wave meter tubes, and TV tubes. If you were to combine helium and neon together you could even create gas lasers.

Neon is used in many things but when we hear the word “neon” the first thing that comes to mind is neon signs. Over 150 colors can be produced with the use of other substances. Neon lights appeal to business owners because of their bright glow, which can be seen in daylight and of course at night. It catches the eye of people passing by and is a great way to advertise.

Removing all the air from glass tubes and filling them with neon make neon lamps. When an electrical current is sent from an electrode at one end of the tube, through the neon, to a second electrode, the electrical current causes the gas to glow a fiery red. Neon lamps do not have filaments that are found in incandescent lamps, in neon lamps it is the gas itself that glows.

Another element that works like neon is argon. These elements are found in the noble gases family, also known as family 18 of the periodic table. Other elements in this family include helium, krypton, xenon and radon. These noble gases are also sometimes called the inert gases. The atomic number of neon is 10, meaning it has 10 protons and 10 electrons. This element also has 10 neutrons. Neon changes from a gas to a liquid at about -245ºC and from a liquid to a solid at -248ºC.

Neon, as far as humans know, is not toxic. It is also chemically inactive and does not react with any other elements or compounds. There are 3 different radioactive isotopes of neon. This includes neon-20, neon-21 and neon-22. The 3 different isotopes means they have 3 different mass numbers and the fact that they are radioactive means that it breaks apart and gives off some form of radiation. This would be what occurs when neon is used in lights. Neon overall has many advantages and has changed the advertising world. The use of neon has been proven successful over the years and the use of neon signs is definitely a smart economical method.