← Back to Periodic Table
Ne 10

Neon (Ne)

noble-gas
Period: 2 Group: 18 Block: p

Gas

Standard Atomic Weight

20.1797 u

Electron configuration

[He] 2s2 2p6

Melting point

-248.59 °C (24.56 K)

Boiling point

-246.05 °C (27.1 K)

Density

0.8999 kg/m³

Oxidation states

0

Electronegativity (Pauling)

N/A

Ionization energy (1st)

Discovery year

1898

Atomic radius

160 pm

Details

Name origin Greek: neos (new).
Discovery country England
Discoverers Sir William Ramsey, M.W. Travers

Neon is a noble gas and the second lightest member of group 18. It is monatomic, colorless, and chemically very inert under ordinary conditions because its outer electron shell is closed. In the atmosphere it is present only as a minor constituent, but it is readily recognized by the intense reddish-orange light emitted in low-pressure electrical discharges. Its technological importance rests mainly on this optical behavior and on its cryogenic properties.

Colourless gaseous element of group 18 on the periodic table (noble gases). Neon occurs in the atmosphere, and comprises 0.0018% of the volume of the atmosphere. It has a distinct reddish glow when used in discharge tubes and neon based lamps. It forms almost no chemical compounds. Neon was discovered in 1898 by Sir William Ramsey and M.W. Travers.

The name derives from the Greek neos for "new". It was discovered from its bright orange spectral lines by the Scottish chemist William Ramsay and the English chemist Morris William Travers in 1898 from a liquefied air sample.

Neon was discovered by Sir William Ramsay, a Scottish chemist, and Morris M. Travers, an English chemist, shortly after their discovery of the element krypton in 1898. Like krypton, neon was discovered through the study of liquefied air. Although neon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe, only 0.0018% of the earth's atmosphere is neon.

From the Greek word neos, new. Discovered by Ramsay and Travers in 1898. Neon is a rare gaseous element present in the atmosphere to the extent of 1 part in 65,000 of air. It is obtained by liquefaction of air and separated from the other gases by fractional distillation.

Read about Neon on Wikipedia

Images

Properties

Physical

Atomic radius (empirical) 160 pm
Covalent radius 58 pm
Van der Waals radius 154 pm
Density
Molar volume 0.0168 L/mol
Phase at STP gas
Melting point -248.59 °C
Boiling point -246.05 °C
Specific heat capacity 1.03 J/(g·K)
Molar heat capacity 20.786 J/(mol·K)
Crystal structure fcc

Chemical

Electronegativity (Allen) 4.787
Electron affinity
Ionization energy (1st)
Ionization energy (2nd)
Ionization energy (3rd)
Ionization energy (4th)
Ionization energy (5th)
Oxidation states 0
Valence electrons 8
Electron configuration
Electron configuration (semantic)

Thermodynamic

Triple point (temperature) -248.59 °C
Triple point (pressure) 4.340000e+4 Pa
Critical point (temperature) -228.658 °C
Critical point (pressure) 2.678600e+6 Pa
Heat of fusion 0.00347204 eV
Heat of vaporization 0.01772296 eV
Heat of atomization 0 eV

Nuclear

Stable isotopes 3
Discovery year 1898

Abundance

Abundance (Earth's crust) 0.005 mg/kg
Abundance (ocean)

Reactivity

N/A

Crystal Structure

Lattice constant a 443 pm

Electronic Structure

Electrons per shell 2, 8

Identifiers

CAS number 7440-01-9
Term symbol
InChI InChI=1S/Ne
InChI Key GKAOGPIIYCISHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Electron Configuration Measured

Ion charge
Protons 10
Electrons 10
Charge Neutral
Configuration Ne: 2s² 2p⁶
Electron configuration
Measured
[He] 2s² 2p⁶
1s² 2s² 2p⁶
Orbital diagram
1s
2/2
2s
2/2
2p
6/6
Total electrons: 10 Unpaired: 0

Atomic model

Protons 10
Neutrons 10
Electrons 10
Mass number 20
Stability Stable

Isotopes change neutron count, mass, and stability — not the electron configuration of a neutral atom.

Schematic atomic model, not to scale.

Atomic Fingerprint

Emission / Absorption Spectrum

25 / 50 (50 with intensity)
Measured
Emission Visible: 380–750 nm
Source: NIST Atomic Spectra Database Wavelengths in air

Isotope Distribution

2090.4800%229.2500%210.2700%Mass numberNatural abundance (%)
Mass numberAtomic mass (u)Natural abundanceHalf-life
20 Stable19.9924401762 ± 0.000000001790.4800%Stable
21 Stable20.993846685 ± 0.0000000410.2700%Stable
22 Stable21.991385114 ± 0.0000000189.2500%Stable
Measured

Phase / State

1 atm / 101.325 kPa
Gas 25 °C (298.15 K)

Reason: 271.1 °C above boiling point (-246.05 °C)

Melting point -248.59 °C
Boiling point -246.05 °C
Above boiling by 271.1 °C
0 K Current temperature: 25 °C 6000 K
Phase timeline

Schematic, not to scale

Solid
Liquid
Gas
Melting
Boiling
25°C
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Current

Phase transition points

Melting point Literature
-248.59 °C
Boiling point Literature
-246.05 °C
Current phase Calculated
Gas

Transition energies

Heat of fusion Literature
0.00347204 eV

Energy required to melt 1 mol at melting point

Heat of vaporization Literature
0.01772296 eV

Energy required to vaporize 1 mol at boiling point

Density

Reference density Literature
0.8999 kg/m³

At standard conditions

Current density Estimated
0.82482596 kg/m³

Estimated via ideal gas law at current T

Advanced

Triple point Literature
-248.59 °C
Critical point Literature
-228.658 °C

Atomic Spectra

Lines Holdings ?

IonChargeTotal linesTransition probabilitiesLevel designations
Ne I 015975331597
Ne II +119142331912
Ne III +2910637910
Ne IV +364372643
Ne V +4374139374
Ne VI +5515449515
Ne VII +6661442661
Ne VIII +7745540745
Ne IX +8229228229
Ne X +9137137137
NIST Lines Holdings →

Levels Holdings ?

IonChargeLevels
Ne I 0375
Ne II +1385
Ne III +2283
Ne IV +3215
Ne V +4161
Ne VI +5135
Ne VII +6208
Ne VIII +7178
Ne IX +8110
Ne X +9149
NIST Levels Holdings →
10 Ne 20.1797

Neon — Atomic Orbital Visualizer

[He]2s22p6
Energy levels 2 8
Oxidation states 0
HOMO 2p n=2 · l=1 · m=-1
Neon — Atomic Orbital Visualizer Preview
Three.js loads only on request
10 Ne 20.1797

Neon — Crystal Structure Visualizer

Face-Centered Cubic · Pearson cF4
Experimental
Pearson cF4
Coord. № 12
Packing 74.000%
No crystal structure at standard conditions — gas at 298 K, 1 atm
Solid phase structure at 293 K
Neon — Crystal Structure Visualizer Preview
Three.js loads only on request

Compounds

Ne
20.180 u
Ne
19.992 u
Ne
21.991 u
Ne
20.994 u
Ne
19.002 u

Isotopes (3)

Natural neon is a mixture of three isotopes. Six other unstable isotopes are known.

Mass numberAtomic mass (u)Natural abundanceHalf-lifeDecay mode
20 Stable19.9924401762 ± 0.000000001790.4800% ± 0.0300%Stable
stable
21 Stable20.993846685 ± 0.0000000410.2700% ± 0.0100%Stable
stable
22 Stable21.991385114 ± 0.0000000189.2500% ± 0.0300%Stable
stable
20 Stable
Atomic mass (u) 19.9924401762 ± 0.0000000017
Natural abundance 90.4800% ± 0.0300%
Half-life Stable
Decay mode
stable
21 Stable
Atomic mass (u) 20.993846685 ± 0.000000041
Natural abundance 0.2700% ± 0.0100%
Half-life Stable
Decay mode
stable
22 Stable
Atomic mass (u) 21.991385114 ± 0.000000018
Natural abundance 9.2500% ± 0.0300%
Half-life Stable
Decay mode
stable

Spectral Lines

Showing 50 of 1087 Spectral Lines. Only spectral lines with measured intensity are shown by default.

Wavelength (nm)IntensityIon stageTypeTransitionAccuracySource
692.94673 nm100000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
703.24131 nm85000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
717.39381 nm77000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2]MeasuredNIST
724.51666 nm77000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
743.88984 nm60000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
702.40504 nm34000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
748.88712 nm32000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3d 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
540.05618 nm20000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
585.24879 nm20000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
640.22472 nm20000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2]MeasuredNIST
470.43948 nm15000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).5d 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
471.20625 nm15000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).6d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
471.53441 nm15000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).6d 2[7/2]*MeasuredNIST
650.65281 nm15000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2]MeasuredNIST
470.88584 nm12000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).5d 2[1/2]*MeasuredNIST
453.77551 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).5d 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
471.00638 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).5d 2[1/2]*MeasuredNIST
478.89249 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).7s 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
482.73382 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).6s 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
488.49181 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).5d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
495.70324 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).5d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
534.10932 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).4d 2[1/2]*MeasuredNIST
588.18952 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
602.99969 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
607.43377 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
614.30626 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
616.35939 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
621.72812 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
626.6495 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
633.44278 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2]MeasuredNIST
638.29917 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
659.89529 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3s 2[1/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[1/2]MeasuredNIST
705.91074 nm10000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3d 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
576.44189 nm7000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).4d 2[7/2]*MeasuredNIST
533.07771 nm6000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).4d 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
534.3282 nm6000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).4d 2[1/2]*MeasuredNIST
597.5534 nm6000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3s 2[3/2]* → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[3/2]MeasuredNIST
475.27311 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).6d 2[7/2]*MeasuredNIST
479.02171 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).6d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
483.73128 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[1/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).6s 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
489.20896 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).7s 2[3/2]*MeasuredNIST
500.51582 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).5d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
503.77504 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).5d 2[7/2]*MeasuredNIST
514.49371 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).5d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
514.50308 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).5d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
556.27668 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).4d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
565.66578 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).4d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
571.92256 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[3/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<1/2>).4d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
574.82979 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).4d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST
580.44496 nm5000Ne Iemission2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).3p 2[5/2] → 2s2.2p5.(2P*<3/2>).4d 2[5/2]*MeasuredNIST

Extended Properties

Covalent Radii (Extended)

Covalent radius (Pyykkö)  
Covalent radius (Pyykkö, double)  

Van der Waals Radii

Bondi  
Alvarez  
UFF  
MM3  

Atomic & Metallic Radii

Atomic radius (Rahm)  

Numbering Scales

Mendeleev
Pettifor
Glawe

Electronegativity Scales

Ghosh
Gunnarsson–Lundqvist
Robles–Bartolotti

Polarizability & Dispersion

Dipole polarizability  
Dipole polarizability (unc.)  
C₆  
C₆ (Gould–Bučko)  

Chemical Affinity

Proton affinity  
Gas basicity  

Noble Gas Properties

Density (25 °C) 0.825 g/L
Reactions

Phase Transitions & Allotropes

Melting point24.56 K
Boiling point27.1 K
Critical point (temperature)44.49 K
Critical point (pressure)2.68 MPa
Triple point (temperature)24.56 K
Triple point (pressure)43.37 kPa

Advanced Reference Data

Screening Constants (3)
nOrbitalσ
1s0.3579
2p4.2416
2s4.2416
Isotope Decay Modes (35)
IsotopeModeIntensity
152p100%
162p100%
17B+100%
17B+p94.4%
17B+A3.5%
17B+pA0%
18B+100%
19B+100%
23B-100%
24B-100%
X‑ray Scattering Factors (503)
Energy (eV)f₁f₂
10—0
10.1617—0
10.3261—0
10.4931—0
10.6628—0
10.8353—0
11.0106—0
11.1886—0
11.3696—0
11.5535—0

Additional Data

References

(9)
2 Atomic Mass Data Center (AMDC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Ne

The half-life and atomic mass data was provided by the Atomic Mass Data Center at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Visit source License
3 IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW)
Neon

Element data are cited from the Atomic weights of the elements (an IUPAC Technical Report). The IUPAC periodic table of elements can be found at https://iupac.org/what-we-do/periodic-table-of-elements/. Additional information can be found within IUPAC publication doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0703 Copyright © 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Visit source License
4 IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI)

The information are cited from Pure Appl. Chem. 2018; 90(12): 1833-2092, https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703.

Visit source License
License note: Copyright (c) 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) contribution within Pubchem is provided under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, unless otherwise stated.
5 Jefferson Lab, U.S. Department of Energy
Neon

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) is one of 17 national laboratories funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The lab's primary mission is to conduct basic research of the atom's nucleus using the lab's unique particle accelerator, known as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). For more information visit https://www.jlab.org/

Visit source License
License note: Please see citation and linking information: https://education.jlab.org/faq/index.html
6 Los Alamos National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
Neon

The periodic table at the LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) contains basic element information together with the history, source, properties, use, handling and more. The provenance data may be found from the link under the source name.

Visit source License
7 NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory
Neon

The periodic table contains NIST's critically-evaluated data on atomic properties of the elements. The provenance data that include data for atomic spectroscopy, X-ray and gamma ray, radiation dosimetry, nuclear physics, and condensed matter physics may be found from the link under the source name. Ref: https://www.nist.gov/pml/atomic-spectra-database

Visit source License
8 PubChem Elements
Neon

This section provides all form of data related to element Neon.

License
9 PubChem Elements
Neon

The element property data was retrieved from publications.

License

Last updated:

Data verified:

Content is reviewed against latest scientific data.