Argon Facts

Argon Facts
Argon (Ar) is one of the noble gases and has an atomic number of eighteen, meaning it has eighteen protons in the nucleus of an atom of argon.

Interesting Argon Facts:

  • Argon is the third most prevalent gas in the Earth’s atmosphere, found at 9,300 parts per million.
  • It makes up 1.28% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • It was the first noble gas to be discovered.
  • Argon is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic material in all three of its states.
  • Even though it is not poisonous, it can still cause suffocation because it displaces air due to its high density.
  • Argon is 38% denser than air, so it remains close to the ground when used.
  • It is almost 24 times as common as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and more than 500 times are common as neon.
  • Argon’s most common isotope, Ar-40, became a part of the Earth’s atmosphere after K-40, a radioactive isotope of potassium, decayed from the Earth’s crust.
  • The eight electrons in the outer shell of Argen mean that it does not form compounds readily.
  • NASA probes have discovered argon in Mercury’s atmosphere and on Saturn’s moon Titan.
  • Henry Cavendish proposed in 1785 that argon might exist.
  • Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay actually discovered and named argon in 1894.
  • Their experiment was to remove all of the nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen dioxide from pure air, and isolate the remaining gas.
  • This process is similar to the fractional distillation of air that is used to produce commercial argon today.
  • For this reason, it is used to displace oxygen and to force out moist air.
  • Important documents like the Declaration of Independence are stored in sealed, argon-filled glass cases to prevent decay.
  • Argon has replaced helium for that purpose, as it does not leak as quickly.
  • Incandescent light bulbs are filled with argon to prevent the filaments from oxidizing.
  • Argon burns blue, so it is used in what is typically referred to as neon lighting.
  • Argon is used to cool the heads of heat-seeking missiles.
  • It creates a very distinctly colored blue-green laser.

    • The above information was copied from the link below on May 13, 2015.
    http://www.softschools.com/facts/periodic_table/argon_facts/197/