Ashley Vázquez Negrón January 23th, 2019

801-15-9160 QUIM 4000-0U1

Argon

Noble gases are of utmost importance in chemistry and life. All of them appear in
nature as elemental gasses only.1 Generally, under normal conditions, these are
monatomic, odorless, colorless and low in chemical reactivity. 2 In addition, they have a
particularly stable electronic configuration with fully filled s and p valence orbitals. 2 This
since they have 8 electrons in their external energy level, except helium that has two. 2
As noble gases comply the octet, these elements are non-reactive. 3 The noble gases
make up the eighteenth group (VIIIA) of the periodic table and are composed of helium,
neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon. Within these, argon is essential because it is
one of the main gases that are extracted from the air and is used in different aspects of
life.
Argon, whose atomic number is 18, is an inert gas that, of the noble gases, is the
one that is found in greatest abundance in the earth and is the most used in industry. 4
The beginning of the path to discover this element was initiated by the English chemist
Henry Cavendish in 1785. 1 Cavendish began to experiment directly with the air since he
felt that the evidence that the air was only composed of oxygen and nitrogen was
insufficient.1 In an experiment he did, Cavendish observed that oxygen in the air
combined with half its nitrogen weight. 1 However, a small gas bubble remained intact
despite all the modifications that Cavendish made. According to his observations, the
small portion of the gas was much more inert than nitrogen. 1 It was not until a century
later, in 1893, that Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay came together to investigate
why the density of nitrogen extracted from the air was different from that extracted by
the decomposition of ammonia.5 By repeating the Cavendish experiment, Ramsay was
able to identify the density of the additional gas that was part of the air (40% denser
than nitrogen).1 In 1894, after sharing results, Rayleigh and Ramsay announced
together the discovery of a new element called argon. 1 When the discovery of this noble
gas was announced, the names of Rayleigh and Ramsay were heard. However, the
scientist Henry Cavendish made an important contribution because his first discoveries
were a key piece for Rayleigh and Ramsay finding.
Argon is a colorless and odorless gas that is in a gaseous state at 20°C and is
totally inert to other substances. 5 The inert property of argon makes it an ideal protective
gas at high temperatures such as in metallurgy. 5 It is part of the period 3, group 18 and
block p of the periodic table. Its chemical properties are: -189.34°C of melting point,
-185.848°C of boiling point, 0.001633 g/cm3 density and an atomic mass of
39.948g/mol.5 This noble gas has 3 isotopes: 40Ar, 38Ar and 36Ar with natural abundance
of 99.60%, 0.0629% and 0.3336% respectively.5
Argon is used for different purposes, both for our survival, and for the production
and generation of materials. For example, the welders use it because it prevents welded
metals from oxidizing.5 In addition to this, it is used in fluorescent tubes, in energy
saving light bulbs and to produce reactive elements such as titanium. 5 It is also used as
an antioxidant protector of foods packed in modified atmospheres, in analysis,
laboratories and pharmaceutical industries. As we have seen, a single element is useful
for countless applications. Each of the elements have been discovered in different
ways. Furthermore, the history of argon's discovery teaches us that science is a
continuous path of investigation. The research we do today can become the base for
future discoveries.

References
1. Isaac, A. Antes del principio, Argón. In Los gases nobles [Online]; Plaza, S,
Janes, A, Eds. http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?
q=cache:GCWI2yqOn6cJ:scholar.google.com/
+gases+nobles+&hl=es&as_sdt=0,5 (accessed Jan 21, 2019)
2. Khriachtechev, L.; Pettersson, M.; Runeberg, N.; Lundell, J.; Rāsānen, M. A
stable argón compound. Nature. 2000,406,874-876.
3. Pauling, L. Uniones químicas y la estructura de moléculas y cristales: una
introducción a la química estructural moderna [Online]; Kapelusz: Buenos Aires,
1966; 42-44. http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?
q=cache:sq_gswyyWOIJ:scholar.google.com/
+gases+nobles+&hl=es&as_sdt=0,5 (accessed Jan 20, 2019).
4. Argon from Chemical elements. Encyclopaedia britannica [Online]; Augustyn, A.;
Bauer, P.; Duignan, B.; Eldridge, A.; Gregersen, E.; Luebering, J.; McKenna, A.;
Petruzzello, M.; Rafferty, J.; Ray, M.; Rogers, K.; Tikkanen, A.; Wallenfeldt, J.;
Zeidan, A.; Zelazko, A, Posted June 29, 2016.
https://www.britannica.com/science/argon-chemical-element (accesed Jan 20,
2019).
5. Periodic Table Home Page. http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/18/argon
(accessed Jan 21, 2019).