About

Neon is a noble gas that is colorless, odorless, and chemically inert under standard conditions. When an electric current is passed through it, it emits a brilliant reddish-orange glow, which is famously used in advertising signs and high-voltage indicators. Despite its iconic association with lighting, it is relatively rare on Earth, extracted from air through fractional distillation.

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number10

Atomic Weight20.18 u

Neutrons (common)10

Electron Configuration[He] 2s² 2p⁶

Full Configuration1s² 2s² 2p⁶

Electrons per Shell2, 8

Oxidation States0

Covalent Radius58 pm

Van der Waals Radius154 pm

Periodic Table Position

Group18

Period2

BlockP

Chemical SeriesNoble gases

Physical Properties

State at STPgas

AppearanceColorless gas, glows reddish-orange in a vacuum tube

Crystal Structurefcc

Magnetic Orderingdiamagnetic

Speed of Sound435 m/s

Thermal Properties

Melting Point24.56 K

Boiling Point27.07 K

Triple Point24.556 K

Thermal Conductivity0.049 W/(m·K)

Specific Heat1.03 J/(g·K)

Molar Heat20.786 J/(mol·K)

Heat of Fusion0.335 kJ/mol

Heat of Vaporization1.71 kJ/mol

Abundance

In Earth's Crust0.005 ppm

In Ocean0.12 ppm

In Solar System1,250 ppm

In Universe1,300 ppm

Discovery

Discovered byWilliam Ramsay & Morris Travers

Discovery Year1,898

Occurrenceprimordial

CAS Number7440-01-9

Electron Configuration

Energy

↿⇂

Isotopes of Neon

Symbol ▲	Mass (u) ▲	Abundance ▲	Half-life ▲	Decay Mode ▲
²⁰Ne	19.992440	90.48%	Stable	Stable
²¹Ne	20.993846	0.27%	Stable	Stable
²²Ne	21.991385	9.25%	Stable	Stable

Interactive Visualization

Explore the 3D Bohr model of Neon in our interactive viewer.

View 3D Model of Neon