The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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Neon is the second element in Group 18 of the periodic table, a group of elements known as the inert or noble gases. Neon's atomic number is 10, its atomic mass is 20.179, and its chemical symbol is Ne.
Neon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas with a boiling point of -410.66°F (-245.92°C), a freezing point of -415.5°F (-248.6°C), and a density of 0.89994 grams per liter. Neon is chemically inert. No compound of the element has ever been made.
Neon occurs in the Earth's atmosphere where it is the fifth most abundant gas, with an abundance of about 18.2 parts per million (0.0182%). It is produced for commercial use by the fractional distillation of liquid air.
Neon was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists, William Ramsay and Morris Travers (1872-1961). Ramsay and Travers attempted to identify the very small amount of liquid left after oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon had been extracted from liquid air by traditional methods of fractional distillation. They analyzed the remaining liquid spectroscopically and found three new sets of spectral lines. They attributed those lines to the presence of three new elements, which they named neon, krypton, and xenon. The name neon is taken from the Greek word neos meaning "new."
The most important single use for neon is in the manufacture of "neon" lights. A "neon" light is a lamp filled with a gas (such as neon) at low pressure through which an electric current flows. The electric current causes the gas to fluoresce, giving off some distinctive color. A variety of gases are used in "neon" lights, each chosen for the distinctive color it produces. Neon is also used in the manufacture of lasers employed in industry and surgery.