Neon

Neon, chemical element, symbol Ne; for physical constants see Periodic Table. Discovered by William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers in 1898, it occurs in the atmosphere to the extent of 1 part in 65,000. It is obtained by liquefaction of liquid air and separated from other gases by fractional distillation. Neon is an inert gas, but is said to form a compound with fluorine. It belongs to the so-called noble gas group of elements. In a vacuum discharge tube, neon glows reddish-orange and is the most intense of all the rare gases at ordinary voltages and currents. The largest use of neon is in neon advertising signs. It is also used in gas lasers, voltage indicators, lightning arrestors, wave meter tubes, and TV tubes. Liquid neon is an economical cryogenic refrigerant.