Neon

Neon
Neon lights on a balloon and Eiffel Tower, Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Properties
Atomic symbol	Ne
Atomic number	10
Classification	Group 18, Noble Gas
Atomic mass	20.2 amu
Melting point (°C)	-248.67
Boiling point (°C)	-245.92
Density (grams per cc)	0.9002 (per liter) 0.6962 (relative)
Abundance in lithosphere (%)	1.8 x 10-8
Other Information
Date of discovery	1898
Name of discoverer	Sir William Ramsay Morris W. Travers
Name origin	Greek: νέος "neos" (new)
Uses	Lighting
Obtained from	Liquid air

Neon (chemical symbol Ne, atomic number 10) is the fourth most abundant chemical element in the universe, but it is just a trace element in the air. As a member of the noble gas series, it is nearly inert. Under ordinary conditions, it is colorless, but in a vacuum discharge tube, it gives a reddish-orange glow. Consequently, the main use of neon is to make flashy signs for advertising.