Neon

Neon, Ne, is an inert Nobel Gas element, found in Group 0 of the periodic table.

Atomic Number : 10
Atomic Mass : 20.17

Neon has three isotopes of mass 20,21, and 22. This was the first non-radioactive element for which isotopes were shown to exist.

Discovery

Neon was discovered by Ramsey and Travers in 1898AD, who suspected that there was an undiscovered inert gas in Group 0 of elements in the periodic table. They isolated Neon by the fractional distillation of crude liquid Argon.

Occurrence

Neon is present at trace levels in the atmosphere.

Extraction

Neon is extracted from liquefied air by fractional distillation.

Properties

Neon is a colourless, tasteless odourless inert gas.

Neon is very inert chemically due to its electronic configuration.

Uses

Neon is the gas responsible for the orange-red colour discharge seen in the discharge tubes used for advertising purposes. A blue or green colouration in the discharge can be obtained by adding a little mercury to the neon in the discharge tube.

Detection and Analysis

Neon is detected by spectroscopic methods.

Start of Hypertext .... Elements .... Compounds .... Index