Argon Gas Formula

Argon Gas

Argon Gas Formula- It is a chemical element that has an atomic number 18 and it resides in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Furthermore, it is the third-most rich gas in the earth’s atmosphere at 0.934 percent (9340 ppmv). It is 23 times more abundant than carbon dioxide and more than twice abundant than water vapor. Furthermore, it is 500 times more ample than neon. In short, it is the amplest noble gas in the earth’s crust that comprises of 0.00015 percent of the crust.

All the argon in the earth’s atmosphere is radiogenic argon-40 that derives from the decay of potassium-40 in the earth’s crust. Besides, the argon-36 is by far the most common argon isotope, as supernovas and stellar nucleosynthesis can easily produce it.

It has a complete octet (eight electrons) in its outer shell, which makes it stable and resistant to bonding with other elements.

Argon gas formula and structure

Its chemical formula is Ar and it has a molecular weight of 39.948 g/mol. It is a stable gas that doesn’t have any type of chain structure.

Occurrence of argon

In the earth’s atmosphere, it constitutes about 0.934% by volume and 1.288% by mass. Furthermore, the air is the primary industrial source of purified argon products. By fractionation, industries isolate argon from the air and most commonly cryogenic fractional distillation is a process that produces other pure gases such as nitrogen, neon, xenon, and oxygen. The seawater contains 0.45 ppm of argon and the earth’s crust contains about 1.2 ppm of argon.

Production of argon

Industrially, they produce it by fractional distillation of liquid air. Argon is an inactive shielding gas that we mostly use in welding and other industrial processes that requires high-temperature in which ordinary unreactive substances become reactive like in graphite electric furnaces they use it to prevent the graphite from burning.

Properties of argon

It is an odorless and colorless non-combustible gas, which is heavier than air. It causes violent rupturing on prolonged exposure to fire and heat. If it comes in contact with cold water in its liquid form than it causes violent boiling. Its density is 1.784 g/L and the boiling point is -185.848 ^oC and the melting point is -189.34 ^oC.

Production of argon

In industries, they produce it by fractional distillation of liquid air in a cryogenic air separation unit: a process that separates liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen. Every year the world produces around 7 lakh tons of argon.

In radioactive decays

Argon-40 is the amplest isotope of argon is produced by the decay of potassium-40 with a half-life of 1.25 ×10⁹years by electron capture or positron emission. Due to this, scientists and archeologists use potassium-argon dating to determine the age of rocks.

Application and uses of argon

It has numerous desirable properties. Firstly, it is a chemically inactive gas. Also, it is a cheaper alternative when nitrogen is not sufficiently inert. Moreover, it has low thermal conductivity. In addition, it has electronic properties that are desirable for some applications.

For most of these applications, other noble gases would also be equally suitable but argon is preferred because it is the cheapest. It occurs naturally in the air and is inexpensive and we readily obtain it as a byproduct of cryogenic air separation in the production of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen. Moreover, other noble gases are produced in this way except helium. But argon is by far the most plentiful. However, the bulk of argon application arises only because it is inert and readily cheap.

Besides, we use argon in fluorescent glow starters. Also, it plays an important role as a food packaging gas.

Solved example for you

Question: What is argon triple point and critical point?

Answer: Its triple point is 83.8058 K, ​68.89 kPa and critical point is 150.687 K, 4.863 MPa.