Argon is a noble gas that makes up approximately 0.93% of Earth’s atmosphere, making it the third most abundant gas after nitrogen and oxygen. Discovered in 1894 by Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay, argon gets its name from the Greek word “argos,” meaning “lazy” or “inactive,” reflecting its extremely unreactive nature. This colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas is produced primarily through the radioactive decay of potassium-40 in Earth’s crust and is extracted commercially through the fractional distillation of liquid air. Due to its chemical inertness, argon is widely used in applications requiring a non-reactive atmosphere, such as welding, preserving historical documents, filling incandescent light bulbs, and creating protective atmospheres for growing silicon crystals in the semiconductor industry.

Find out about the noble gasses as a group here [Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), Radon (Rn), Oganesson (Og)]. Find a review of the 50 most important industrial gases here.

20 Fun Facts About Argon

Beyond the basics above, what else should we know about Argon? Check out the 20 fun facts below!

1. Argon glows with a distinctive blue-violet color when electrically excited in gas discharge tubes, making it popular for neon-style signs and plasma globes.
2. The gas is 25% denser than air, which means it can accumulate in low-lying areas and potentially create oxygen-deficient environments in confined spaces.
3. Argon-39 is used by scientists to date groundwater and ice cores, helping researchers understand climate patterns from up to 1,000 years ago.
4. Deep-sea divers sometimes use argon to inflate dry suits because it provides better thermal insulation than air, though it’s more expensive.
5. The planet Jupiter’s atmosphere contains trace amounts of argon, detected by the Galileo spacecraft‘s atmospheric probe in 1995.
6. Argon ion lasers produce powerful beams of blue and green light and were once commonly used in laser light shows and medical procedures.
7. Wine producers sometimes use argon to prevent oxidation when storing opened bottles, as it forms a protective blanket over the liquid.
8. The first noble gas compound ever created involved argon – argon fluorohydride (HArF) was synthesized in 2000 at extremely low temperatures.
9. Argon costs approximately $0.50 per 100 grams when purchased in bulk, making it one of the most economical noble gases.
10. Some double and triple-pane windows are filled with argon gas because it reduces heat transfer better than air, improving energy efficiency.
11. Neutrino detectors often use liquid argon as a detection medium because it produces distinctive light signals when neutrinos interact with it.
12. Argon plasma torches can reach temperatures exceeding 20,000°C (36,000°F), hot enough to vaporize virtually any material.
13. The gas was almost named “neutron” by its discoverers because of its neutral, unreactive properties, but they settled on argon instead.
14. Argon-40 makes up 99.6% of all argon on Earth, while the Sun contains mostly argon-36, revealing different formation processes.
15. Some fire suppression systems use argon because it displaces oxygen without leaving residue or damaging sensitive equipment.
16. Blue argon lasers are used in some forensic applications to enhance the visibility of fingerprints and other trace evidence.
17. The semiconductor industry consumes about 25% of all commercially produced argon for creating ultra-pure silicon wafers.
18. Argon has been detected in the Crab Nebula, providing insights into the nuclear processes occurring in supernova remnants.
19. Some luxury car manufacturers fill tires with argon instead of air, claiming it maintains pressure better and reduces oxidation of the rubber.
20. Scientists have created “argon ice” under extreme pressure (above 1.2 GPa), which has a face-centered cubic crystal structure.

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