[TheForge] Shop Lighting

[Bruce Freeman]

Well, that 's not completely true.  Yes, neon is a noble gas (a monoatomic gas with almost no tendency to react with anything else).  But nitrogen glows in the UV and is not a noble gas.  It IS a very stable molecule, though, so maybe that helps. 

 But such gases might be chosen simply because they'd be less corrosive to the electrodes.  If you used oxygen in the tube, it would probably chew through the electrode in no time.

Bruce
NJ

>>> grover.richardson at gtri.gatech.edu 3/1/2006 10:58:17 AM >>>
Yes.  If you look at a red "neon sign," you can actually see inside the bulb
and see the glowing gas.  As I remember it, neon glows red and other gasses
glow different colors.  Only certain gasses will glow, I think they are
called the "noble gasses."  It's been a loooong time<G>.

Fun stuff.

And back to hammering on something else<G>.