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What is Hydrogen? - Origin / Meaning of the name Hydrogen
The name Hydrogen is derived from the Greek word 'hydros'
meaning "water" and gennen meaning to "generate"
as it forms water
when exposed to Oxygen creating
H2O.
What is Hydrogen? Periodic Table Group and Classification of the Hydrogen Element
Elements can be classified based on their physical states (States
of Matter) e.g. gas, solid or liquid. This element is a gas. Hydrogen
is
classified as an element in the 'Non-Metals' section which can be
located in groups 14,15 and 16 of the Periodic Table. Non-metallic elements
exist, at room temperature, in two of the three states of matter:
gases (Oxygen, Hydrogen &
Nitrogen) and solids (Carbon,
Phosphorus,
Sulfur and
Selenium). For additional facts and information refer to
Hydrogen Properties.
What is Hydrogen?
- The
Discovery of Hydrogen
Hydrogen was discovered by
Henry Cavendish in 1776 although Paracelsus around 1500, Robert
Boyle, and Joseph Priestley had observed its production by
reacting strong acids with metals. The element hydrogen was first clearly
recognized as a distinct substance by the English investigator
Cavendish, who in 1766 obtained it in a pure state, and showed
it to be different from the other inflammable airs or gases
which had long been known. Cavendish described Hydrogen as
"inflammable air".
Henry Cavendish (1731 - 1810)
Facts about the History of the Discovery of Hydrogen
Element
Antoine Lavoisier gave the element its name and proved that
water was made of hydrogen and oxygen.
Antoine Lavoisier
Antoine Lavoisier was famous for his care in quantitative
experiments, for demonstrating the true nature of combustion and
for introducing a system into the naming and grouping of chemical
substances in 1787. Lavoisier was executed in 1794 during the French
Revolution.
Antoine Lavoisier (1743 - 1794)
What is Hydrogen? - Occurrence of the Hydrogen Element
-
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe
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Makes up
to 75% of normal matter by mass and over 90% by number of atoms
-
Found in
abundance in stars and giant gas planets
-
Fourteen
and a half times lighter than air
-
The most
common source for this element on earth is water which is composed two parts
hydrogen to one part oxygen (H2O)
Abundance of Hydrogen
% in Universe 75%
% in Sun 75%
% in Meteorites 2.4%
% in Earth's Crust 0.15%
% in Oceans 11%
% in Humans 10%
Associated Uses of Hydrogen
Manufacture of Ammonia to produce fertilizers
Hydrogen balloons – only used for lifting weather instruments
Rocket Fuel
Hydrogen Fuel – Upgrading Fossil fuels
Production of methanol and hydrochloric acid
Hydrogen Bomb from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen isotopes |
