When the Hoover Dam was finished in 1936, it brought a lot of electricity to a small desert town called Las Vegas, Nevada. This new power source helped Las Vegas grow into a city full of bright, colorful lights. The secret behind these lights was neon gas, which glows when electrified.
Neon gas is naturally clear and has no smell, so turning it into glowing signs was a big challenge. A French inventor named Georges Claude figured out how to do it. In 1902, he found a way to separate neon from the air and produce it in large amounts. By 1910, he had invented a method to trap neon gas inside glass tubes with special electrodes on each end, creating the first neon lights.
In workshops like Claude’s, skilled workers called tube-benders made neon signs by hand. They heated parts of a long, hollow glass tube and bent it into different shapes. Once the glass cooled, they attached electrodes to both ends and used a vacuum pump to remove the air inside. Then, they sent a high-voltage current through the tube to clean it. Finally, they filled the tube with neon gas and sealed it.
When you turn on a neon sign, electricity makes some of the neon atoms’ electrons move really fast and break free. This leaves behind positively charged ions. The free electrons zoom from one electrode to the other, hitting more neon atoms and making them excited too. When these excited electrons return to their normal state, they release energy as light particles called photons. This light is what makes the neon sign glow.
While we often call all gas-filled signs “neon” signs, there are actually five different gases used to create various colors. Each gas emits light of a different color when electrified. Neon gives off an orange-red glow, argon glows pale lavender, helium shines dusty pink, krypton emits silver-white light, and xenon produces a light purple glow. By combining these gases with colored glass tubes, artisans can create a wide range of colorful designs.
Business owners quickly realized that these colorful signs were great for attracting customers. Unlike regular light bulbs, neon signs don’t have filaments that burn out, so they can last up to 40 years. By the 1930s, neon signs were lighting up stores all over the world. Because the glass tubes were fragile, most neon signs were made by local shops and installed nearby. Each sign was unique, often featuring humor and intricate designs.
After World War II, plastic became cheap and popular, leading to plastic signs replacing neon as the modern choice. Many towns removed neon signs, thinking they were old-fashioned. Today, neon sign production is much smaller than it used to be, but the art of tube bending is still alive. New neon creations, handcrafted by local artisans, can still be found alongside vintage signs on city streets around the world.
Imagine you are a neon sign designer in the 1930s. Sketch a design for a new neon sign that could attract customers to a local business. Think about the colors and shapes you would use, and explain why you chose them. Share your design with the class and discuss the different gases you would use to achieve your desired colors.
Conduct a simple experiment to understand how gases emit light. Use a spectrum tube and a power supply to observe the colors emitted by different gases. Record your observations and compare them to the colors described in the article. Discuss why different gases emit different colors when electrified.
Create a timeline that highlights the key events in the history of neon signs, from Georges Claude’s invention to the present day. Include important milestones such as the rise of neon signs in Las Vegas and the shift to plastic signs after World War II. Present your timeline to the class and explain how each event contributed to the development of neon signs.
Take a virtual tour of famous neon signs around the world using online resources. Choose a few signs that you find interesting and research their history and significance. Prepare a short presentation to share with the class, highlighting what makes each sign unique and any interesting facts you discovered.
Using colored paper or digital design tools, create a piece of art inspired by neon signs. Focus on using bright colors and bold shapes to mimic the look of neon lights. Display your artwork in the classroom and write a brief description of how you were inspired by the neon signs discussed in the article.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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When the Hoover Dam was completed in 1936, it created a significant source of hydroelectric power and revitalized a quiet desert town: Las Vegas, Nevada. With the power supply from the dam, Las Vegas soon flourished with vibrant displays. The source of these dazzling lights was electrified neon gas.
There are two main challenges to creating illuminated signs from this naturally clear, odorless gas: capturing it and making it glow. French inventor Georges Claude developed techniques to accomplish both. In 1902, he devised a method for liquefying and separating specific gases from the air, producing neon on an industrial scale for the first time. By 1910, he had created a way to trap the gas in a glass tube with a special electrode at either end, marking the birth of neon lighting.
In workshops like Claude’s, artisans known as tube-benders crafted neon signs by hand. The tube-benders heated small sections of a long, hollow glass tube and quickly bent them into shape. After the glass cooled, they attached electrodes to each end and removed the air with a vacuum pump. Then, they passed a high-voltage current through the tube to eliminate any impurities inside the glass. Finally, they pumped the neon gas in and sealed off the electrodes.
When a neon sign is turned on, the electric current causes some of the neon atoms’ electrons to accelerate and break free from their orbits, leaving behind positively charged ions. As these free electrons rush from one electrode to the other, they collide with more neon atoms, causing them to ionize as well. When these excited electrons return to their normal energy levels, their excess energy is emitted as photons, or particles of light. This process occurs almost instantaneously, and the glow from the photons is what we see when we activate a neon sign.
Though it’s common to refer to any gas-filled sign as a “neon” sign, there are actually five different gases used in production. Each gas emits photons of a different wavelength when electrified, corresponding to different colors of light. Neon produces an orange-red glow, argon glows pale lavender, helium emits a dusty pink, krypton gives off a silver-white light, and xenon shines light purple. These five gases can be combined with color-coated tubing to create a vibrant array of text and images.
Business owners soon recognized how effective these colorful signs were for attracting customers. Unlike a light bulb, a neon sign has no incandescent filaments to burn out and can shine continuously for up to 40 years before the gas depletes. By the 1930s, neon signs were illuminating storefronts worldwide. Due to the fragile nature of the glass tubes, it was often impractical to ship them over long distances. Instead, most neon signs were crafted by local neon shops and then installed nearby. Signs featuring humor, personality, and intricate designs proliferated, with no two exactly alike.
However, by the end of World War II, plastics became widely available and inexpensive, leading to plastic signs replacing neon as symbols of modernity. Many towns removed neon signs they considered outdated. Today, neon sign production is only a fraction of what it was at its peak, but the craft of tube bending continues relatively unchanged. New creations, hand-crafted by local artisans, coexist with surviving signs from the heyday of neon, often hidden in plain sight on city streets around the world.
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This version maintains the original content while ensuring clarity and readability.
Neon – A chemical element that is a colorless, odorless gas often used in brightly lit signs – Neon lights are commonly used in advertising signs because they can produce bright and colorful displays.
Gas – A state of matter that has no fixed shape and can expand to fill any space available – Carbon dioxide is a gas that is released when fossil fuels are burned.
Electricity – A form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles, used to power devices – Thomas Edison is famous for his contributions to the development of electricity and the electric light bulb.
Signs – Objects or displays that convey information or instructions, often using symbols or lights – The neon signs in the city make the streets look vibrant and lively at night.
Atoms – The basic units of matter, consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons – Everything around us is made up of atoms, which combine to form molecules.
Electrons – Negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom – Electrons play a crucial role in chemical reactions and the flow of electricity.
Colors – Different wavelengths of light perceived by the human eye, often used to describe the appearance of objects – The colors emitted by neon lights depend on the type of gas used inside the tubes.
Glass – A hard, brittle material often used to make windows and containers, and in the case of neon lights, tubes – The glass tubes of neon lights are carefully shaped to form letters and designs.
Art – The expression or application of human creativity and imagination, often in visual forms – The use of neon lights in art installations can create stunning visual effects.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs – The history of electricity includes many important discoveries and inventions that have shaped modern life.
