What is a neon light?
Since the early 1900s, neon lights have been prominent in outdoor advertising. The technology enables a multitude of colors and shapes that mesh well with the goals of advertising. Though still called “neon,” modern lights are filled with other gases.Neon GasNeon gas was discovered in 1898 by two London chemists, William Ramsey and Morris W. Travers. It is a rare element that requires the liquefaction of air to form.HistoryA French engineer, Georges Claude, discovered the first neon light by applying an electrical current to a sealed tube of neon gas. He exhibited the first light to the Parisian public in 1910.How Neon Light WorksA neon light works by sealing neon or other inert gases in a glass tube at low pressure. When high voltage is applied, the gas glows brightly, and other elements and gases create different colors.Neon TubesNeon tubes are shaped by heating the glass and, once a vacuum is created, filling the tube with neon or other gas at low pressure. Modern tubes are filled w
