Neon

:This page is about the chemical element. For the automobile, see Dodge Neon. For a new semiconductor technology see ARM. For the fish, see neon tetra. For the light synthesizer, see Neon (light synthesizer).

Occurrence

Neon is usually found in the form of a gas with molecules consisting of a single neon atom. Neon is a rare gas that is found in the Earth's atmosphere at 1 part in 65,000 and is produced by supercooling air and fractionally distilling it from the resulting cryogenic liquid. Neon, like water vapor, is lighter than air; unlike water vapor, which condenses into a liquid below the stratosphere and is thus trapped in Earth's atmosphere, neon may slowly leak out into space, which explains its scarcity on Earth. Argon, in contrast, is heavier than air and so remains within Earth's atmosphere.

Related Topics:
Gas - Molecule - Atom - Earth's atmosphere - Distilling - Water vapor - Argon

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