What is Argon?
Argon is a chemical element that belongs to the noble gas group. It is colorless and odorless and is commonly used for welding and fluorescent lighting. It ranked third in the list of the most abundant chemical elements in the earth’s atmosphere.
Where is Argon obtained?
Argon is abundant in the atmosphere. It is present in the earth’s crust, specifically 4 parts per million. It can be produced from liquid air through the process of fractional distillation. Another way of artificially producing argon is by heating nitrogen gas from the atmosphere using calcium or hot magnesium. When argon mixes with calcium or magnesium, it forms a nitride. Argon is also present in wells containing natural gas. Once the natural gas is purified, argon is recovered as a by-product.
History of Argon
Argon is the very first chemical element in the noble gas group to be discovered. Its existence was noted back in 1785 by an English scientist, Sir Henry Cavendish. He was not happy at that time because only a little was known about air. He knew that nitrogen in the air could react with oxygen and form nitrous acid. He wants to find out if anything in the air other than oxygen or carbon dioxide can be converted to nitrous acid. If so, he will be able to find out if the air consists entirely of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Classification, Properties and Characteristics of Argon
Argon is a colorless and odorless gas that is inert to other substances. It can form certain compounds under favorable conditions. It has the same solubility level in water as oxygen but has low thermal conductivity.
Lewis Dot Structure of Argon
Bohr’s Atomic Model
Atomic Data of Argon
Physical Properties of Argon
| Color | colorless |
| Odor | odorless |
| Taste | tasteless |
| Atomic Mass | 39.95 |
| Weight | 39.792 |
| Density | 0.001633 |
| Atomic Radius | 1.88 Å |
| Ionization Energy | 15.760 eV |
| Covalent Radius | 1.06 Å |
| Ionic Radius | 188 pm |
| Electronic Gain Enthalpy | 1521 kJ/mol-1 |
| Electron Negativity | no value on the Pauling scale |
| Electron Affinity | 0 kJ mol‑1 |
| Melting Point | −189.34°C, −308.81°F, 83.81 K |
| Boiling Point | −185.848°C, −302.526°F, 87.302 K |
Chemical Properties of Argon
| Atomic Number | 18 |
| Group | 18 |
| Period | 3 |
| Block | p |
| Electronic Configuration | [Ne] 3s23p6 |
| Combustion | Non-flammable |
| Chemical Reactivity | Does not react with any other element |
| Valency of Element | 0 |
Different States of Argon
Argon turns into a colorless liquid at a temperature of 302.4 °F. Argon, on the other hand, transforms into a crystalline solid at 308.9 °F. To liquify argon, it needs at least 48 atmospheres. It cannot be liquefied under pressures greater than -188.1 °F.
What are the common uses of argon?
- Argon is commonly used in metal industries, specifically in the production of titanium.
- Argon is used to fill the space between the panels of double-dazzled windows.
- The unreactive nature of Argon is the reason why it is used in light bulbs. It protects the bulb’s filament and provides a neutral atmosphere in the welding area.
- It is used in semi-conductors to give an inert atmosphere for germanium and silicon crystal growth.
- It is used in medical lasers, specifically in ophthalmology, to address eye-related problems such as retinal detachment, blood vessel leakage, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
- Argon, being an inert gas, does not react with hot wire, causing the metal to remain hot for a long period of time. This is, thus, the reason why it is used as a component of a lightbulb. It stops the bulb from giving off light when the metal breaks and will no longer carry electric current.
- Argon is also used in dye lasers to be used in treating skin-related conditions.
- Argon is used as a carrier gas in cinematography. It provides a blanket atmosphere to grow crystals.
- Argon is used in various applications like refrigeration, cryosurgery, airbag inflation, spectroscopy, and fire extinguishing.
- Argon plays a vital role in the treatment of kidney tumors, specifically in cryo-needles where argon helps cool down the needles during argon cryosurgery. The abnormal tissues are destroyed through freezing.
- Argon is also significant in the treatment of other medical conditions, like heart arrhythmias.
- Argon is used in the food and drink industry. It is added to wine barrels to displace air. It settles above the liquid, thus protecting the wine from oxidation and souring. It is also used for wine and liquid bottles that have already been opened, which is common in restaurants and bars.
- Argon is used to preserve old documents. Its inert nature gives a protective atmosphere, thereby preventing degradation and damage during the document’s display and storage.
- Argon is used to insulate dry suits for cold water diving. It is also used in argox form, a breathing gas used by scuba divers that is made from both argon and oxygen.
- Argon is used to create neon lights.
- Argon is used for radioisotope dating. It is used together with potassium, which is primarily used to find out the time of origin of rocks.
- Argon is used in welding specialty alloys, mufflers, automobile frames, and various automotive parts.
- Argon is used in 3-D printing. It is specifically used in the burgeoning field of 3D printing. It is responsible for checking metal reactions such as oxidation.
Price of Argon
The cost of argon varies depending on supply and demand. To date, argon costs $0.5 per 100 grams.
Interesting facts about Argon
- When argon is ionized, it emits a unique violet glow.
- Distilling air cryogenically can produce argon.
- Although only 0.94% of argon volume is present in the earth’s atmosphere, it still ranked third in the list of the most abundant gases in the air.
- When an inert environment is needed, Argon is one of the go-to-gasses.
- Don’t you know that argon is one of the components of fire-suppression systems? It displaces oxygen in a room.
- Don’t you know that the symbol of Argon was once A but was eventually changed by IUPAC to Ar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why does Argon produce a purple color?
Argon is colorless under normal conditions. However, when it is activated by a high-voltage electric field, it produces a violet-colored light.
Q2. What happens if you breathe in argon gas?
Argon, being an inert gas, is a basic asphyxiant. Living creatures exposed to too concentrated argon gas can have an ill effect. In humans, it causes nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and even death.
Q3. Does argon have a medicinal use?
Yes, argon, although an inert gas, plays a crucial role in some medical applications, specifically in surgical elements.
Q4. Does argon play a role in APC (Argon Plasma Coagulation)?
Argon Plasma Coagulation uses a high frequency argon plasma stimulation to cauterize tissues and prevent excessive bleeding around the surgical sites.
Q5. Is argon dangerous to humans?
Argon is non-toxic, but too high a concentration of argon in the environment reduces the level of oxygen in the air. Humans and living creatures will have difficulty breathing, causing asphyxiation. When you’re exposed to Argon in liquid form, it’s extremely cold and could lead to frostbite.
References
- https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/18/argon
- https://www.britannica.com/science/argon-chemical-element
- https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/ar.htm
- https://www.livescience.com/29023-argon.html
- https://byjus.com/chemistry/argon/
- https://www.thoughtco.com/interesting-argon-element-facts-4101197
- https://www.chemicool.com/elements/argon.html
- https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele018.html
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-argon-facts-properties-uses.html
- https://study.com/learn/lesson/argon-gas-formula-properties.html