• Question: what happens if u put neon +bismuth together

    Asked by thesloth to Callum, Gina, Katie, Michelle, Sam on 10 Nov 2012.
    • Photo: Sam Godfrey

      Sam Godfrey answered on 10 Nov 2012:

      I think nothing would happen. Neon is a group of gasses that includes helium, that don’t react with anything. These are called the noble gasses. They do seem to have a role in lights, but I don’t know what this is really. Maybe ask your chemistry teacher for more information?

      Sorry I can’t be more use

      Sam

    • Photo: Michelle Linterman

      Michelle Linterman answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      I agree with Sam, that nothing would happen. Neon is part of a group of elements that do not readily react with anything, this is because they have a full outer shell of electrons, and for elements to easily react with each other, they need to share electrons.

      For example in water – each molecule of water is made from one oxygen molecule, and two hydrogen molecules (H20). Oxygen likes to have 8 electrons in it’s outer shell, but it only has 6, so it can ‘borrow’ one electron from each molecule of hydrogen, and forms a stable complex, water or H20.

      Neon can be forced to glow red in a vaccum tube though, you will have seen this in pretty neon lights.

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