Neon By Katie Scanlon |
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| Dear Aunt Francess, Guess what? While working on a project assigned by my chemistry teacher, I discovered a mole of neon is very exciting. Since you love the neon lights in Las Vegas, I decided to share some interesting information with you. To start off, let me explain what a mole is. It is a quantity of a substance and one of the base units of the Si system (International System of Units) which is a modernized version of the Metric system. A mole is the amount of a substance for which the weight in grams has the same numerical value as the substance’s molecular weight. A mole of any chemical species (for example, atom, molecule, ion) always contains 6.02 times 10 to the power of 23 particles. That seems large, but in actuality it is very small. In addition, a mole of any gas that occupies a volume of 22.41 when maintained at 0 degrees Celsius and 1 atmosphere pressure. Therefore, a mole of neon has 6.02 time 10 to the power of 23 atoms. Did you know the word neon comes from the Greek word neos meaning "new?" Neon is an inert, odorless gas that is lighter than air. Imagine that! It is the second element of the noble gas series, which is group zero of the periodic table. Ne is its symbol. The gas has an atomic weight of 20.179 and an atomic number of 10. It was discovered by Sir William Ramsay and Morris William Travers in 1898 in the residue from the distillation of liquid air. The two scientists concluded that neon can be found in Earth’s atmosphere and within the rocks of the Earth’s crust. Many people would agree that moles of neon are very popular. They are loved to the extent that some people will go to the trouble of processing a necessary eighty-eight thousand pounds of liquid air into only one pound of solid neon. Is that popular or what? A natural neon mole consists of three isotopes. Its physical properties include a boiling point of –415.61 degrees F (-246.08 degrees C), a melting point of –415.61 degrees F (-248.67 degrees C), and a gas density of 0.89990 g/l at 0 degrees Celsius. The electronic structure includes a completed outer electron shell, and the element shows little tendency to form compounds, although complex ions that include neon have been observed in optical and mass spectrometric studies. Like argon, krypton, and xenon, neon is obtained commercially as a by-product of the fractional distillation of liquid air. Liquid neon, with more than forty times the refrigerant capacity, per unit volume, of liquid helium, is finding increasing application as an economical Cryogenic refrigerant. During the late nineteenth century the French physicist George Claude developed an electric discharge tube filled with low-pressure neon gas. When a high voltage was applied to the two electrodes at either end of the tube, it emitted a deep red light. Its value for decorative and advertising purposes was quickly recognized and became popular in the 1920’s and thereafter. Neon is used in fluorescent lamps, electric signs, and as an ingredient in anti fog devices. It is also used to make high-voltage indicators, lightning arrestors, wave meter tubes, television tubes, and, more recently, gas lasers. Neon lights change electrical energy into light energy. That is why it is so useful. Included with this letter is a mole of neon I designed. It is in the shape of an animal mole, the kind you cannot seem to get rid of in your backyard. When you plug it in, it lights up red. Inside I placed a red light bulb that is symbolic of an actual neon light bulb. (neon lights are too expensive for me) The wire is the mole’s tale that also lights up. I wrapped colored Christmas lights around the wire as another symbol of neon’s brightness. I hope you enjoy the mole as much as you must have enjoyed these fascinating facts about neon.
P.S. |
