chemistry
...al properties of this noble gas. Argon is two and one half times as soluble in water as nitrogen, having about the same solubility as oxygen. The gas is prepared by fractionation of liquid air because the atmosphere contains 0.94% argon. The atmosphere of Mars contains 1.6% of 40Ar and 5 p.p.m. of 36Ar. According to www.webelements.com: “Argon is very inert and is not known to form true chemical compounds. It makes a good atmosphere for working with air-sensitive materials since it is heavier than air and less reactive than N2”. Argon’s valence shell has eight electrons, making it very stable, therefore making it chemically inert. Naturally occurring argon is a mixture of three isotopes. Argon has many functions in everyday life. Argon is one of the most abundant members of the rare gas family, which consists of helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. It is used in lighting products, in the incandescent lamp industry for the filling of light bulbs. Some is mixed with krypton in fluorescent lamps. Argon is also mixed with Neon giving the bluish tint in neon lights. Argon is used in arc welding, plasma jet torches and several other rare gas mixtures. It is the cheapest noble gas since it is present in about 1% of the air. It is used wherever a cheap inert atmosphere is required, such as metal welding, and it is used in lasers, which are the most common type of laser used in professional light shows. The argon laser gives a cyan colored beam that can be broken into blue and green beams using a yellow dichotic or a prism. Acc...