Neon Uses In Everyday Life
Neon is the second lightest gas among the noble gases and is denoted by the symbol Ne. It was discovered long ago by Morris Travers and Sir William Ramsay. It is the gas which is reddish-brown in colour and present in neon lamps, discharge tubes and vacuum tubes. As compared to Helium regarding many applications, Neon is a lot less costly refrigerant. The uses of neon gas are extensive. As compared to Hydrogen, the refrigerating capacity of Neon is three times higher than liquid hydrogen per volume unit basis. Again Neon's refrigerating capacity is 40 times more than that of helium liquid. Neon is a scarce gas, and each molecule of Neon has a single neon atom. Neon’s chemical formula is Ne. A bit later, we will look into the various uses of neon gas.
Neon and Its History
A brief description of what is neon gas has already been given. Now let us see how Neon was discovered. Morris Travers and William Ramsay of University College London discovered neon gas in 1898. In 1894 Ramsay and Rayleigh had already discovered the Argon gas. Again in 1895 Ramsay produced an initial sample of helium gas. He was pretty sure that an element would fit between helium and organ on the periodic table. Now it was his charge to discover it.
Travers and Ramsay searched many minerals to discover some unknown gas from them. But they were unsuccessful. Ramsay thought maybe some new elements could be found from argon gas itself. He froze argon gas using liquefied air. Then under reduced pressure, he evaporated the gas. He collected the first gas that came out of it. The gas was transferred to a vacuum tube, and high voltage was applied to it. A tremendous glow came out. It was the neon gas with the neon glow. Uses of Neon are abundant.
Chemical Properties of Neon
Neon is a noble gas present in group 18 and period 2 of the periodic table. It is a p block element with atomic number and atomic mass of 10 and 20 respectively. At a typical 20°C temperature; it remains in a gaseous state. It has a density of 0.000825 g/cm^3. The melting point of neon gases -248.59 °C and boiling point is -246.046 °C. The electronic configuration of Neon is [He] 2s^2 2p^6. It is non-toxic and chemically inert.
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Since neon gas is a noble gas, therefore it is non-reactive and does not form compounds quickly. Hence generally, neon gas is not a threat to environmental issues as such. But there are many uses of neon element. Neon generally forms an unstable hydrate. It can also perform exotic compounds with halogens like fluorine being an inert element. Neon has 10 electrons, protons and neutrons each. It has two electron shells. Physical properties of Neon have already been discussed above.
Specific other properties are given below:
Solid structure: face-centred cubic
Heat of fusion: 0.3317 kJ/mol
Specific heat capacity: 0.904 J/gK
The heat of vaporization: 1.7326 kJ/mol
Atomic radius: 38 pm
Thermal conductivity: 0.05 W/mK
Atomic volume: 16.7 cm3/mol.
Uses of Neon Gas
Common uses of neon gas are given below in detail.
Advertising signs are made using the reddish coloured neon lights. The glow is fluorescent and can be seen from a distance. Different colours of light are generated generally with the mixture of many other gases. Here neon gas is also utilized.
Neon gas also has applications in high voltage indicators, meter tubes, television tubes and lightning arresters.
Marine sea divers also use helium and neon mixture for respiration. The mixture has less insolubility in blood as compared to nitrogen gas even at high pressure.
Neon in mixture with other gases or single years neon gas is used in many-electron gas-filled tubes. It has excellent application in the electronics industry. Georges Claude first made neon glass tubes imaging Orange-red light in 1910.
Neon in liquid format can be used as an excellent refrigerant.
Solved Examples
What is Neon used for and what colour is Neon?
Neon is used for advertising signs. Typically Neon is colourless, but when treated with high voltage, it gives out the reddish Orange glow.
What type of element is Neon, or what is neon gas?
Neon is an inert noble gas.
FAQs on Neon
1. What is Neon and what are its key physical properties?
Neon (Ne) is a chemical element with atomic number 10, located in Group 18 of the periodic table. It is a colourless, odourless, and inert monatomic gas under standard conditions. Its key properties include:
- Electronic Configuration: [He] 2s²2p⁶
- Atomic Mass: 20.18 u
- Melting Point: -248.59 °C
- Boiling Point: -246.046 °C
- State at 20°C: Gas
- Key Characteristic: It is the second-lightest noble gas.
2. What are the primary uses of Neon gas in technology and advertising?
Neon gas has several important applications, primarily stemming from its inert nature and characteristic glow. The main uses are:
- Advertising Signs: When subjected to a high voltage, neon gas emits a brilliant reddish-orange glow, which is widely used in 'neon' signs.
- High-Voltage Indicators: It is used in devices like high-voltage indicators, lightning arresters, and television tubes.
- Cryogenic Refrigerant: In its liquid form, neon is a highly effective cryogenic refrigerant with a refrigerating capacity over 40 times that of liquid helium per unit volume.
- Diving Gas: A mixture of helium and neon is sometimes used as a breathing gas for deep-sea divers to prevent the risks associated with nitrogen at high pressure.
3. What colour does pure Neon gas glow, and how are other colours in 'neon signs' produced?
Pure neon gas produces a distinct, bright reddish-orange light when an electric current is passed through it in a vacuum tube. The other vibrant colours seen in signs commonly referred to as 'neon' are actually created in two ways:
- By using other noble gases instead of neon (e.g., argon produces a blue or lavender light).
- By mixing neon with other gases or by using coloured glass tubes coated with phosphors that glow a different colour when excited by the light from the gas.
4. Why is Neon chemically inert and classified as a noble gas?
Neon's chemical inertness is a direct result of its stable electronic configuration, [He] 2s²2p⁶. It has a full valence shell with eight electrons (a stable octet). This complete outer shell makes it energetically unfavorable for neon to gain, lose, or share electrons to form chemical bonds with other elements. Because it does not readily react, it is classified as a noble gas.
5. Despite its inertness, can Neon form any chemical compounds?
Under normal conditions, neon does not form stable chemical compounds. Its extreme non-reactivity makes it one of the most inert elements. However, under highly specific and extreme laboratory conditions, neon has been observed to form very weak, unstable associations. For example, it can form an unstable hydrate (a compound with water) and has been shown to form exotic ions in mass spectrometers. These are not considered true, stable compounds in the conventional sense.
6. How does Neon's performance as a cryogenic refrigerant compare to that of Helium?
Liquid neon is a significantly more efficient cryogenic refrigerant than liquid helium on a volume basis. The primary advantage is its higher refrigerating capacity; per unit volume, liquid neon provides over 40 times more refrigeration than liquid helium and three times more than liquid hydrogen. This makes it a more compact and powerful choice for certain specialised cooling applications, although helium can achieve lower temperatures.
7. What are the potential health risks associated with handling Neon gas?
While neon is non-toxic, it poses a physical hazard as a simple asphyxiant. If released in a confined space, it can displace the oxygen in the air. Inhaling an oxygen-deficient atmosphere can quickly lead to dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness, and potentially death. Furthermore, direct contact with liquid neon can cause severe frostbite to the skin and eyes due to its extremely low temperature.
