Why is this element important in everyday life?
Argon is used in light bulbs, neon signs, mercury vapor lamps, and metallurgical processes.
Where is this element found in nature?
Argon makes up 1% of the earth's atmosphere. It is the most abundant Nobel gas in the air. About 250,000 tons of Argon is isolated each year.
What are the properties of the element?
General Characteristics = Argon is a purple gas. Since it's a Nobel gas it is neither radioactive nor reactive. Argon can't form any compounds.
Atomic Symbol = Ar
Period Number = 3
Group Number and Family Name = group 18, the Nobel gases
Atomic Number = 18
Atomic Mass =39.948
Density =1.784 g/L
Melting Point =-189.2 degrees Celsius
Boiling Point =-185.7 degrees Celsius
Electron Configuration =Ar - 1s22s22p63s23p6
Shorthand Notation =Ar-[Ne]3s23p6
Common Reactions =None
Interesting Information = Argon is Greek for the "lazy one". They named it this because it can't make any compounds. It was the first Nobel gas to be discovered. It was discovered in 1894. After Argon was discovered the early scientists discovered they need a separate group for these perfect gases.
Who is ?
I would like to tell you a story about my friend Aeriola Argon. She was one of the 125,000 Argon's in her family to go to Element University. She graduated in the top 1% of her class. When she realized graduation was only a few months away, she decided to start looking for a job. She became involved in a job search program. She got numerous offers. The offers came from several power companies. Mostly they wanted her to work with light bulbs and neon signs. There were also offers from the metal welding companies. They wanted her to head the division of metallurgical processes.
She wasn't sure what to do, so she decided to go visit her friends. At college she had managed to make a few friends they were mostly alike. She didn't really like Lucy Radon, because she had a very explosive temper. Helen Helium was very conservative. When she presented Nellie Neon and Kelsey Krypton with her problem, they said they were more than happy to help. After all they were her most nobel set of friends. Sometimes they were a true gas. Aeriola explained to all six of them the possibilities, conditions, and pay of the job offers. They considered the neon signs. Aeriola told them she favored the color purple, and she thought that she would have trouble with coordinating sign colors. Finally they decided the metallurgical process manager was the best job available. She thanked her friends for their help.
Aeriola went back to Wheeling Pittsburgh steel company and told them she would take the job in the welding division. They were very happy to here this and they told her when she could start. She was excited. On the day that she started, she was introduced to all of her co-workers. Mr. Aluminum whose call number is 13, Mrs. Oxygen whose call number is 8, and Mr. Nickel whose call number is 28. She was happy to meet new people. They all seemed to like her. After a while though her job got boring, and she decided to change professions.
She went to Sylvania light and told them she would like a job. They welcomed her to their workplace and set her to work. Now she got to work with a relative of Helen Helium, it was her brother Hector. He was nice and he often helped her with her work. She also became close to Mr. Tungsten. She prevented him from blowing up at people several times. Soon they moved Aeriola up to a new job. She was the filler for the manufacturing of purple neon signs. She liked this job; it was what she always wanted. After a few job changes Aeriola found what she really wanted. For the rest of her short life she was very happy.
