Saul Soto Period 3

ARGON
Argon is the 18th element on the periodic table. It is the 3rd element in the noble gases group. Its name comes from the Greek word meaning inactive. The element has been suspected of existing since 1785,but was not discovered until 1894 by Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay when they isolated it from air. Argon was the first noble gas to be discovered. Ar first, its symbol was A, but in 1957 it was changed to Ar. It is the most common and cheapest of the noble gases. Argon can be found in the air, and makes up 0.934% of the atmosphere's volume. In Mercury Argon is 70% of the atmosphere. It is the most common noble gas. It is inert and does not normally make compounds. It also has the same solubility in water as oxygen gas. Argon's electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2 3p6. That gives it a complete shell,which prevents it from bonding. It is nonmagnetic, for it is a gas. The most common isotope is 40Ar,with 22 neutrons. It accounts for 99.600% of Argon. Argon is a gas at room temperature. It is colorless,odorless,tasteless,and non-toxic. Argon is a non-metal. It has a melting/freezing point of -189.35.C It's boiling point is -185.5C . The triple point of Argon is 83.8058 K at 69 k Pa. Argon has an atomic weight of 39.950 g-mol-1. It has a cubic face centered crystal structure. Argon has an atomic radius of 70 pm and its Van der Waals radius is 188 pm. Argon has many applications and usages. It is the cheapest noble gas in the market,due to the fact that argon is a byproduct of many factors and already occurs in a pretty large quantity in the air. Argon

is the cheapest alternative to diatomic nitrogen when an inert gas is needed. Argon is also widely used because of its low thermal conductivity. One of its most famous uses is that for incandescent lighting, where it will give off a blue color and not react with the filaments. Argon is used to extinguish fires when one wants to avoid damages to the equipment. Because of its inertness, Argon is used as a shield in many forms of welding, such as metal inert gas welding. Argon is also used as an inert blanket in the processing of reactive elements such as titanium. Argon is the preferred gas for Scanning Electron Microscopy and ICP spectroscopy. Argon,being inert, is a great preserver. Museum conservators use Argon to protect old materials, such as parchments and other items that would perish in the air. Argon is also widely used to protect finishes such as varnish, polyurethane, paint, and other chemicals. I use it to protect the finish on my vintage guitar. Distilleries use Argon to prevent their wine from turning into vinegar. It is also used to prevent open bottles of wine from oxidizing. The military uses Argon to cool down the seeker head of missiles by storing argon at a high temperature, and the expansion of gas cools the missile down. Pharmacists use Argon to displace oxygen thus increasing the shelf life of the drug. In the poultry industry it is used as a mass asphyxiant because of its high density. They use it when there is a disease outbreak or when they need it to kill a lot of chickens at once. It is considered more humane to kill chickens through Argon rather than the electric bath, which assures a painful death. Argon also replaces oxygen in the chicken's dead body, therefore increasing its shelf life. And since Argon is non-toxic, it is safe to eat the poultry. Energy efficient windows use Argon for insulation, for it is inert and therefore will not let things pass through. Scuba divers use Argon to inflate dry suits, for it is inert and has a pretty low thermal conductivity, and will thus help help the scuba divers. Argon is used to fill vapor discharge tubes where it gives off a blue color. Argon is used in plasma globes and

calorimetry in particle physics because of the unique way it emits and ionizes light. Surgeons use Argon to destroy tumors, weld arteries and correct eye problems. Surgeons also use it in cryosurgery procedures such as cryoablation,where liquid argon destroys cancer cells. And it is again used in surgery in Argon plasma beam electro surgery,which carries the risk of producing gas embolism. It also provides a protective atmosphere for growing crystals, such as silicon and germanium crystals, and another atmosphere in graphite electric furnaces to keep the graphite from reacting with oxygen. Argon ions are used for sputtering in microelectronics. Argon-39 is used for ice core and ground water dating, for it has a half-life of 269 years. It is also used as a shortcut in electron configuration. As you can see, Argon is used in a variety of ways. Though Argon is mostly beneficial,it does have a dark side. Though argon is non-toxic, it cannot replace oxygen and therefore is an asphyxiant. In confined places,it is known to be fatal. There has been a fatality in Alaska because of this. Argon is 25% heavier than air,and because it is odorless,tasteless, and colorless, it would be extremely difficult to perceive a leak. The benefits,however, far surpass the negatives. Argon is crucial to many parts of the industry,and, being the most common noble gas, is a never-ending resource. This is an element that is sought after because it does nothing. It does not react,and it is tasteless,odorless,and colorless. It is the world's perfect shielder.