Neon is element number 10, with the symbol Ne. Its name comes from the Greek word for “new.”
Atomic number 1020.18
NeNeonネオン (neon)
Symbol
Ne
Atomic weight
20.18
Place in the table
Period 2 · Group 18
Atomic weight from the Chemical Society of Japan, “Table of Standard Atomic Weights with Four Significant Figures (2026)”.
The “new” element
The symbol Ne comes from the Greek neos, “new.” Neon was discovered in 1898.
In the same year, krypton (“hidden”) and xenon (“stranger”) were also discovered.
The far-right column
Neon belongs to Group 18, the far-right column of the periodic table. The gases in this column, including helium, neon, argon and krypton, are called the noble gases.
When the noble gases were discovered one after another, a new column was added to the periodic table. Even so, the basic shape of the table did not change.
Think about it
Q1How do you think the person who named it “new” was feeling?
Q2What kind of ingenuity would it take to find a new element in a gas?
Q3Why do you think the table kept its shape even after a new column was added?
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.
Did you know? — Many element names come from Greek. Neon (new), argon (idle) and krypton (hidden) are all noble gases.