In the solid state it forms an fcc crystal with a melting point of -189.4 C and a boiling point of - 185.8 C. The electronic configuration of Argon is (Ne)(3s 2)(3p 6). Its atomic radius is 0.098 nm.

The sample is placed in a small chamber that is at a vacuum. Argon gas and an electric field cause an electron to be removed from the argon, making the atoms positively charged. The argon ions then ...