Argon

In 1785, British physicist Henry Cavendish studied the air in the atmosphere and found that it was made up of mostly nitrogen and oxygen. There was, however, a third gas that Cavendish could not identify. The gas was a mystery until 1984 when Sir William Ramsey and Lord Rayleigh used spectroscopy, the study of light and matter, to identify the colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that we know as argon. Isolating the gas helped the chemists properly study its properties.

Named after the Greek word argos (“lazy”), this inert, or nonreactive, element was the first of the noble gases to be discovered.

Argon is odorless and colorless; however, it will glow a violet color if excited by a high voltage electric field.

If you’re working in a sensitive environment and need a cool, calm, and collected gas that won’t react to other chemicals, argon is a great choice. One of the main applications for argon is for the gas inside incandescent light bulbs. Welders also use argon to protect their weld area, and healthcare professionals use argon lasers to treat retina issues in eyes.

Compounds involving this element are rare because argon does not react with other chemicals. However, some compounds of argon have been found in cold gases and plasmas. Scientists have also been able to create molecular ions (groups of elements) that include argon. Some of these same ions have even been found in space!

Argon comes from “common” air—the air in the atmosphere that surrounds us every day. Commercial companies collect argon from the air using a process called fractional distillation where air is liquified and then heated to a temperature that releases the gases (nitrogen, oxygen, and argon) one by one.