The element argon has always been a loner. It’s one of the inert gases that normally exist as single atoms. But in the 23 August issue of Nature, chemists report that they persuaded argon to mingle a little and form a compound with other elements.

Is argon a compound or element?

argon (Ar), chemical element, inert gas of Group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table, terrestrially the most abundant and industrially the most frequently used of the noble gases.

Is argon a pure compound?

Argon is a pure substance. Argon is an element. Silicon dioxide is a pure substance. It is a compound.