Inert Gas of the Week - Neon

Neon has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10.  It is a very common element in the universe, but very rare on earth. 

It's a colorless, inert gas and a first-rate conductor of electricity and has an amazing ability to give off light which can be seen at great distances, it is used most frequently in airplane beacons, in lamps, and in advertising signs.

Neon is produced when air is turned to a liquid under high pressure and at temperatures of about -200°C. That liquid leaves behind it a gas, neon.  Neon is costly to produce but very little is needed to create that bright light. Just one quart of neon gas will light up 200 to 300 feet of glass tubing.


The bright red signs we see outside shops and theaters are simply glass tubes filled with neon gas. For blue neon signs, a few drops of mercury are added to the gas.  Neon lamps do not have filaments as are found in incandescent lamps, for in neon lamps it is the gas itself that glows.