Signedon paper label: T.W. RICHARDS/ Argon prepared by Lord Rayleight
FunctionWhen connected to a voltage source, the tube illuminates with a mix of colors (wavelengths) that is characteristic of the substance in the tube, its spectrum. The individual wavelengths can be separated and analyzed using a spectroscope.
Historical AttributesLord Rayleigh discovered Argon in 1895. He was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery. This is likely an early sample of the new gas for spectral analysis.