Neon

Neon is a <a href="/facts/Chemical_element/0jducgWD">chemical element</a>; it has <a href="/facts/Symbol_(chemistry)/2Fe1VAL0">symbol</a> Ne and <a href="/facts/Atomic_number/bgAr581S">atomic number</a> 10. It is the second <a href="/facts/Noble_gas/j0yHMEAE">noble gas</a> in the periodic table. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert <a href="/facts/Monatomic_gas/1cTX2U2g">monatomic gas</a> under <a href="/facts/Standard_temperature_and_pressure/JhJv9KFJ">standard conditions</a>, with approximately two-thirds the density of air.
Neon was discovered in 1898 alongside <a href="/facts/Krypton/llkNlCke">krypton</a> and <a href="/facts/Xenon/9E3XR69R">xenon</a>, identified as one of the three remaining rare inert elements in dry air after the removal of <a href="/facts/Nitrogen/Nf1QpGDz">nitrogen</a>, <a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">oxygen</a>, <a href="/facts/Argon/QX6NRH6d">argon</a>, and <a href="/facts/Carbon_dioxide/xGzpppEp">carbon dioxide</a>. Its discovery was marked by the distinctive bright red <a href="/facts/Emission_spectrum/fxumR717">emission spectrum</a> it exhibited, leading to its immediate recognition as a new element. The name neon originates from the Greek word νέον, a neuter singular form of νέος (neos), meaning 'new'. Neon is a chemically <a href="/facts/Inert_gas/3EkBEoYh">inert gas</a>; although <a href="/facts/Neon_compounds/pCjIk6bP">neon compounds</a> do exist, they are primarily ionic molecules or fragile molecules held together by <a href="/facts/Van_der_Waals_force/jyGU8Vh9">van der Waals forces</a>.
The synthesis of most neon in the cosmos resulted from the <a href="/facts/Stellar_nucleosynthesis/qEQJdJe6">nuclear fusion within stars</a> of oxygen and <a href="/facts/Helium/yRul93TG">helium</a> through the <a href="/facts/Alpha_process/S8cf71rL">alpha-capture process</a>. Despite its abundant presence in the <a href="/facts/Universe/XbfpnDmM">universe</a> and <a href="/facts/Solar_System/QIcLSazQ">Solar System</a>—ranking fifth in cosmic abundance following hydrogen, helium, oxygen, and carbon—neon is comparatively scarce on Earth. It constitutes about 18.2 <a href="/facts/Parts-per_notation/PozRuoLM">ppm</a> of Earth's atmospheric volume and a lesser fraction in the Earth's crust. The high <a href="/facts/Volatility_(chemistry)/90r3ep6w">volatility</a> of neon and its inability to form compounds that would anchor it to solids explain its limited presence on Earth and the <a href="/facts/Inner_planets/QIcLSazQ">inner terrestrial planets</a>. Neon’s high volatility facilitated its escape from <a href="/facts/Planetesimal/PK60dofs">planetesimals</a> under the early Solar System's nascent Sun's warmth.
Neon's notable applications include its use in low-<a href="/facts/Voltage/EN2po6N2">voltage</a> <a href="/facts/Neon_glow_lamp/dVz7h0B4">neon glow lamps</a>, <a href="/facts/Geissler_tube/SHjKIVjf">high-voltage discharge tubes</a>, and <a href="/facts/Neon_sign/tRXpPt1N">neon advertising signs</a>, where it emits a distinct reddish-orange glow. This same red emission line is responsible for the characteristic red light of <a href="/facts/Helium%25E2%2580%2593neon_laser/D0MuCYvV">helium–neon lasers</a>. Although neon has some applications in plasma tubes and as a refrigerant, its commercial uses are relatively limited. It is primarily obtained through the <a href="/facts/Fractional_distillation/DdNf0k8I">fractional distillation</a> of <a href="/facts/Liquid_air/soClHXAx">liquid air</a>, making it significantly more expensive than helium due to air being its sole source.

Neon open-in-new

Neon