Neon lighting consists of brightly glowing, electrified glass tubes or bulbs that contain rarefied neon or other gases. ... A high potential of several thousand volts applied to the electrodes ionizes the gas in the tube, causing it to emit colored light. The color of the light depends on the gas in the tube.

How do neon lights produce different colors?

Each gas used in neon lights has its own color. Neon is red, helium is orange, argon is lavender, krypton is gray or green, mercury vapor is light blue, and xenon is gray or blue. Mixing gases and elements added to a neon light creates different hues. ... Colored glass tubes are also used for the same effect.

Why do neon lights stop working?

Look for broken wires, a shorted wire, extremely low voltage or defective tube section within the neon light system. Shorts and broken wires will not transfer any voltage to the light. If several neon lights are connected in a series and one is broken then none of the lights will work.