Inert Gas of the Week

Neon (Ne) is a non reactive gas with atomic number of 10. Neon is the second-lightest noble gas, glows redish-orange in a vacuum discharge tube and has over 40 times the refrigerating capacity of liquid helium and three times that of liquid hydrogen. In most applications it is a less expensive refrigerant than helium. Neon plasma has the most intense light discharge at normal voltages and currents of all the rare gases. The average color of this light to the human eye is red-orange; it contains a strong green line which is hidden, unless the visual components are dispersed by a spectroscope. Next time you walk the neon lit streets of a major metropolis-----be thankful for Neon!