Neon, a noble gas used in brightly glowing advertising signs and lighting, was discovered by which scientists working together?

Introduction / Context:
Neon is a noble gas that produces a bright reddish orange glow when an electric current passes through it. This property made neon popular in illuminated advertising signs and decorative lighting. Many noble gases were discovered around the same period, and exam questions often ask about which scientists discovered which gas. This question focuses on the discovery of neon and the pair of researchers who worked together on isolating it.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The element in question is neon, a noble gas.
• Neon is associated with glowing signs and lighting.
• The options include names from solid state electronics, nuclear physics, and pairs of scientists known for other discoveries.
• Only one option correctly names the team that discovered neon.

Concept / Approach:
Morris W. Travers and William Ramsay discovered neon in 1898 while investigating components of liquefied air. They were systematically working on rare gases and identified neon along with other noble gases. Robert Noyce is associated with the integrated circuit, Enrico Fermi with nuclear reactors and particles, and Antonio de Ulloa and Charles Wood with other scientific work such as the discovery of platinum or geographical exploration. They are not credited with finding neon. Therefore, the correct answer is the team of Morris W. Travers and William Ramsay.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that neon is a noble gas discovered in the late nineteenth century.Step 2: Recall that William Ramsay worked extensively on noble gases and shared discoveries with coworkers such as Morris W. Travers.Step 3: Look at the options and identify Morris W. Travers and William Ramsay as option C.Step 4: Recognise that Robert Noyce is a twentieth century electronics pioneer, not a discoverer of elements.Step 5: Recognise that Enrico Fermi is known for nuclear physics and reactors, not noble gases.Step 6: Recognise that Antonio de Ulloa and Charles Wood are not the names usually associated with neon discovery in chemistry texts.Step 7: Select Morris W. Travers and William Ramsay as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Chemistry textbooks that discuss noble gases list William Ramsay as a key figure in their discovery, including argon, neon, krypton and xenon. They also note that he collaborated with colleagues such as Morris W. Travers when isolating these gases from liquefied air. In exam oriented tables, neon is assigned to the Travers and Ramsay team. The other names in the options appear in topics unrelated to noble gas chemistry, confirming that Travers and Ramsay are the correct pair to remember for neon.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Robert Noyce co invented the integrated circuit and is connected with microchip development, not with discovering chemical elements. Enrico Fermi contributions relate to nuclear physics and the first controlled chain reaction, again far from noble gases. Antonio de Ulloa and Charles Wood have their own scientific or exploratory achievements but are not credited in mainstream chemistry sources with discovering neon. Therefore, options A, B and D do not answer the question correctly.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes guess based on partial recognition of a name, such as Enrico Fermi, without noticing that his field is nuclear physics, not gas discovery. Others may know Ramsay role in noble gases but forget the name of his collaborator and become confused by the pairs. To avoid such risks, memorise short associations such as argon and neon with Ramsay and Travers, and helium with earlier solar and terrestrial observations. This strategy makes element discovery questions easier to handle in competitive exams.

Final Answer:
Neon was discovered by Morris W. Travers and William Ramsay.