Tuesday, September 13, 2011

How does neon give off a different color besides red when reacting with electricity?

When an electrical current is sent through a glass tube full of neon glass, it causes the gas to glow a fiery red. But how do people get the gas to glow any other color? Is it just a change in the color of the tube? Or what?How does neon give off a different color besides red when reacting with electricity?
They use different gasses in the tubes. Neon or argon are the most common gases used. they may add other elements in the tubes such as mercury to change or brighten the color.

Krypton, xenon, and helium are used for other purposes but are not used in normal signs like the ones used in storesHow does neon give off a different color besides red when reacting with electricity?
not usually. what happens is that the visible spectrum is lit up bright red. Other colors come from a change in the gas inside.



All elements have a specific emission spectra that is concurrent with the type of element that it is.



These spectra range from the IR-vis-UV spectra.



The change in the spectra comes from the idea of wave-partical duality of light.
Boiled down concepts of an emission spectra:

Everu element has a unique light emission profile due to the fact that every element has a different electron formation around it. These electrons are capable of jumping to a higher energy level by absorbing their own specific ';quanta'; of energy from the tube. When the electrons crash back down to their original energy state, they release that energy in the form of a photon of set energy (wavelength). Therefore, since each element has a unique electron formation that can only absorb specific quanta of energy, they release their own specific wavelength light in response to being provided with energy (from the tube in this case) The emission spectra for neon is the firey orange



Neon signs:

Alternatively, it could be said that there are different coatings in the inside of the tube that react to the electrical energy by giving off different colors.

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