{"id":11,"date":"2020-04-08T14:54:40","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T14:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2023-08-13T20:51:45","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T20:51:45","slug":"hydrogen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/hydrogen\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hydrogen is a chemical element with an atomic number of 1 in the periodic table. Occurring as a part of the H2O molecule, it’s the most plentiful element that occurs in the Universe. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 0.15 % concentration, it\u2019s also the 10th most abundant chemical element in Earth\u2019s crust. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a member of the hydrogen family of elements, this chemical substance that occurs both as a gas and a non-metal has only one valence electron<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chemical and Physical Properties of Hydrogen<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
Property<\/strong><\/td>\n Value<\/strong><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Name:<\/td>\n Hydrogen<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Symbol of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n H<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Uses of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n Most hydrogen is used in the production of ammonia. Also used in balloons and in metal refining. Also used as fuel in rockets. Its two heavier isotopes are: deuterium (D) and tritium (T) used respectively for nuclear fission and fusion.<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Description of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n Light, odorless, colorless, tasteless inert gas. Second most abundant element in the universe. Sixth most abundant in the earth’s atmosphere.<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Group of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n Non-Metal<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Group Name:<\/td>\n lithium family<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Shells of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 1<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Valence of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 1<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Crystal Structure of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n Hexagonal<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Electro Negativity of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 2.2<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Covalent Radius of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 0.32 \u00c5<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Ionic Radius of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 1.54 (+1) \u00c5<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Atomic Radius of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 0.79 \u00c5<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Atomic Volume of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 14.4 cm\u00b3\/mol<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Name Origin of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n Greek: hydro (water) and genes (generate)<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Year:<\/td>\n 1766<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Location:<\/td>\n England<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Pronunciation of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n HI-dreh-jen<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Oxydation States of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n \u00b11<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Density of Hydrogen:<\/td>\n 0.00008988 g\/cm\u00b3<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Phase:<\/td>\n Gas (Diatomic Gas)<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Classification:<\/td>\n Other Nonmetal<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Block in Periodic Table:<\/td>\n s-block<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
CAS Number:<\/td>\n CAS1333-74-0<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n

Classified in the periodic table under the symbol (H), atomic number X, atomic mass of 1.008 g.mol<\/span>-1<\/span>, and electron configuration <\/span>1s<\/span>1<\/b>, hydrogen is a colorless and odorless gas with a diatomic molecule (H<\/span>2<\/span>). It reaches its boiling point at \u2212252.879\u00b0C (\u2212423.182\u00b0F, 20.271 K), while the melting point is achieved at X\u2212259.16\u00b0C (\u2212434.49\u00b0F, 13.99 K). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lightest and the simplest element of all existing chemicals has an electronegativity of 2.1 according to Pauling, whereas the atomic radius according to van der Waals is 0.12 nm. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pure hydrogen burns violently with oxidants and forms explosive compounds when it comes to contact with air. When substantial pressure is applied, this non-metal substance changes its aggregate state into a liquid gas. Hydrogen is easily absorbed by metals, and it\u2019s easily soluble in both organic solvents – even more so than in water. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Was Hydrogen Discovered?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The story on hydrogen does not begin at the date recognized as the official introduction of this chemical element in the world of science. Namely, two centuries before Henry Cavendish received accolades for his outstanding achievement, a few other scientists seem to have been on its trace.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paracelsus and His Discovery of Hydrogen<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of the 1500s, the alchemist <\/span>Paracelsus<\/span><\/a> observed a flammable gas rising from the metal when he tried to treat it with diluted sulfuric acid. However, this gaseous by-product of his chemical attempt couldn\u2019t be supported by further scientific evidence because Paracelsus firmly believed that there are only three primary chemical elements in the world that he called \u201cthe tria prima\u201d – salt, sulfur<\/a>, and mercury<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon his observance, the other chemicals were merely a combination of these three substances. Of course, the times of Paracelsus were the genesis of science, so he wasn\u2019t able to conduct more thorough analyses of the new substance. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Robert Boyle and Henry Cavendish\u2019s Attempts to Isolate Hydrogen<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by Paracelsus\u2019 work, in 1670 the Anglo-Irish chemist, physicist, and inventor Robert Boyle (1627 – 1691) tried to reproduce the chemical trials of the alchemist. In his attempt, he only managed to demonstrate that hydrogen gas burns when it comes into contact with air, more precisely – with O2.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Henry Cavendish and His Discovery of Hydrogen<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A century later, the English scientist and member of the Royal Society of London, Henry Cavendish (1731 – 1810) recognized the new element when he tried to make a chemical reaction between hydrochloric acid and zinc<\/a>. Among all the properties of hydrogen he determined, Cavendish also discovered that the gaseous substance produces water when burned. Thus, he labeled the substance as \u2018inflammable air\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sir Humphry Davy\u2019s Consecutive Research on Hydrogen<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Being a master of electrolysis, Sir Humprey Davy attempted an experiment by conducting an electric current through purified water. The resulting outcome showed Davy that he could isolate all the elements from the observed compound by using electricity. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this particular experiment, Davy managed to isolate both hydrogen and oxygen<\/a> from the water which led him to the belief that the elements were bound between each other by an electrical phenomenon. By this, Sir Humprey Davy succeeded in discovering the real nature of chemical bonding. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Did Hydrogen Get Its Name?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The French scientist Antoine Lavoisier (1743 – 1794) named the water-forming gas as <\/span>hydrogen <\/span><\/i>in 1783. The name of the element is a portmanteau from the Greek words <\/span>hydro<\/span><\/i> (water) and <\/span>gen<\/span><\/i> (birth; born; produced). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where Can You Find Hydrogen?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hydrogen is the most abundant element that can be found in the Universe that mostly occurs in the form of a gaseous substance. While Jupiter is mostly made of hydrogen, this substance can also be found on Saturn, in the Sun, as well as in the composition of some stars. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Earth, though, hydrogen occurs in all waters as the H2O compound. However, due to its light atomic mass, hydrogen cannot be retained close to Earth, <\/span>so it escapes into space by the force of our planet\u2019s gravity<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For commercial uses, the production of hydrogen is performed by heating natural gas with steam to form a mixture of hydrogen and carbon<\/a> monoxide, labeled as <\/span>syngas<\/span><\/i>. The process continues by a separation of elements from the compound so that hydrogen is obtained. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most abundant hydrogen isotope is <\/span>protium<\/span><\/i>, while tritium is the least abundant form of hydrogen. Each year, there are about 3 billion cubic feet of hydrogen produced in the United States. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hydrogen in Everyday Life<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Element 1 has an enormous variety of uses in everyday life. Being part of the water molecule, it\u2019s vital for all life forms on Earth. Simply put – there can\u2019t be life without water. It\u2019s also found in plenty of compounds that have found practical use in our living. Such are the following.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n