12 Interesting Facts about Argon: Noble Gas Atomic Element Number 18

1 Argon is present in the air that we breathe, comprising the third most abundant gas after nitrogen and oxygen.

2 Argon is one of the heaviest gasses in our atmosphere, with an atomic mass almost three times that of oxygen, but only 93% of it is present in our air. Being a noble gas, is also antisocial, reluctant to react with most other elements except fluoride in certain conditions. In fact, the word argon is taken from the Greek word argos, meaning ‘lazy’ or ‘indolent’.

3 Argon, like neon, will glow if placed in a glass vacuum and an electric current run through it. But where neon emits a red glow, argon will be blue. Occasionally, mercury will be added to neon to intensify the blue.

Argon's Blue Glow

4 Argon Facts

Atomic number: 18

Atomic weight: 39.948

State: colorless gas

Category: noble gas

Melting point: -189°C (-308°F)

Boiling point:  -186°C (303°F)

Argon in Double Glazing

5 Argon is the gas that is inserted between two panes of glass in double glazing. In its pure state, argon is heavier than the surrounding air and conducts little heat. These properties make argon the ideal insulation made of air.

6 The discovery of argon earned British scientists John Strutt (Lord Rayleigh) and Sir William Ramsay $10,000 (a lot of money in 1894) but they had to keep their discovery secret because a condition of the competition is that no one must know of the discovery until a specified time.

Argon Lighting

7 Because argon is so stable, it is the gas that fills light bulbs, incandescent bulbs and strip-lighting in offices and homes. Oxygen would have corroded the tungsten filaments within.

8 Being inert, argon is safe to use within potentially flammable conditions such as shield arc welding of steel and aluminium, as well as the refinement of metals.

Argon Symbol

9 Most of the argon gas on earth has been created by the radioactive decay of potassium. This makes argon-39 the ideal gas with which to date ice cores and groundwater.

10 Argon of an intense beam of blue-green light is used as a laser treatment for eye surgery. Retinal detachments, capillary leakage, diabetic eye disease degeneration of the macular and glaucoma have been treated with argon laser therapy.

Argon and Silicon Crystals

11 Because argon is so inert, is disinclined to react with other elements. This makes argon the ideal atmosphere in which to grow germanium or silicon crystals. Because neither element will combine with argon, the crystals will be kept pure during growth.

12 Although Mar’s atmosphere is only 1% of the earth, argon can be found in the Martian atmosphere at a slightly higher level of 1.6% compared to the earth’s 0.93%. Being a heavier gas, argon is more easily anchored by Mar’s gravity than the lighter gases such as oxygen or helium. Incidentally, 95% of Mar’s atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide.