What is Hydrogen: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. With a standard atomic weight of 1.008, hydrogen is the lightest element in the periodic table. Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe, constituting roughly 75% of all baryonic mass. Non-remnant stars are mainly composed of hydrogen in the plasma state. The most common isotope of hydrogen, termed protium (name rarely used, symbol 1H), has one proton and no neutrons.
The universal emergence of atomic hydrogen first occurred during the recombination epoch (Big Bang). At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, nonmetallic, highly combustible diatomic gas with the molecular formula H2. Since hydrogen readily forms covalent compounds with most nonmetallic elements, most of the hydrogen on Earth exists in molecular forms such as water or organic compounds. Hydrogen plays a particularly important role in acid–base reactions because most acid-base reactions involve the exchange of protons between soluble molecules. In ionic compounds, hydrogen can take the form of a negative charge (i.e., anion) when it is known as a hydride, or as a positively charged (i.e., cation) species denoted by the symbol H+. The hydrogen cation is written as though composed of a bare proton, but in reality, hydrogen cations in ionic compounds are always more complex. As the only neutral atom for which the Schrödinger equation can be solved analytically, study of the energetics and bonding of the hydrogen atom has played a key role in the development of quantum mechanics.
Hydrogen gas was first artificially produced in the early 16th century by the reaction of acids on metals. In 1766–81, Henry Cavendish was the first to recognize that hydrogen gas was a discrete substance, and that it produces water when burned, the property for which it was later named: in Greek, hydrogen means "water-former".
Industrial production is mainly from steam reforming natural gas, and less often from more energy-intensive methods such as the electrolysis of water. Most hydrogen is used near the site of its production, the two largest uses being fossil fuel processing (e.g., hydrocracking) and ammonia production, mostly for the fertilizer market. Hydrogen is problematic in metallurgy because it can embrittle many metals, complicating the design of pipelines and storage tanks.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. J

    Is a Hydrogen-Fueled Internal Combustion Engine the Future of Transportation?

    Very much interested in everything about engines. While the battery EV seems to be the generally accepted propulsion of the future, I think the Hydrogen (Flex) fueled internal combustion could prove to out-perform it in every way. An engine that is designed for Hydrogen, but could also run...
  2. D

    B Energy production that converts Hydrogen to Iron?

    Suppose a craft derived its energy from fusion— converting Hydrogen into Iron… If it started with a kilo of Hydrogen, how much mass of Iron would it have at the end and how much energy would be extracted?
  3. G

    Chemistry Why is the third hydrogen attached to P instead of O in phosphorus acid?

    Stumbled upon this when I was looking at lewis dot electron structures. The phosphorus acid is dibasic. What prevents the third hydrogen from attaching to the third oxygen instead of the central phosphorus? Is there a theoretical explanation or we can only memorize this for a fact? Thanks,
  4. engali

    Calculating Energy Requirements for HRSG in Hydrogen Power Plants

    Hi guys, I’m a final-year student studying mechanical engineering. I’m doing my dissertation on hydrogen power plants. I had a question…. How would I work out the energy needed to run a HRSG in my cycle. I understand this depends on various parameters and needs testing and simulations but...
  5. Karfen

    Thermodynamics homework -- Estimate the molar specific heat of the air at constant volume Cv

    And this is the Cv graph for hydrogen: I think the Cv graph for air is similar with this graph. But I don't know the answer, can someone tell me?
  6. Spinnor

    I Interesting sound-making hydrogen-burning device

    There is an interesting video on the Wiki page for Hydrogen. A metal enclosure made of two funnels with a smaller hole at the top and a larger hole at the bottom is initially is filled with hydrogen gas. The covered holes are opened and the hydrogen escaping the top hole is lit. After a few...
  7. Astronuc

    Geological deposits of hydrogen

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/went-hunting-fossil-fuels-found-050016262.html Skip the hype on implications, and instead focus on the geology and geochemistry. This is one of those TIL bits of information.
  8. jeff einstein

    B Am I attracted to a hydrogen atom 1 billion light years away?

    Just a quick question, are we attracted by a hydrogen atom billions of light years away by gravity or is my gravity completely masked by earth's gravity and so I am not attracted by the hydrogen atom? I am talking on a very very very small and incomprehensible scale.
  9. Entropix

    I Hydrogen balloon experiment -- How high can it rise?

    If we launch a hydrogen balloon from the Earth surface (let's say it has a 2 meter radius) and assuming it's strong enough so it doesn't pop/disintegrate (it's made out of carbon nano-tubes). Where this balloon will stop? I'm more interested in the exact altitude it reaches or if it will keep...
  10. M

    Seeking books to help me understand the structure of the Hydrogen Atom

    TL;DR Summary: How to learn about the Hydrogen Atom from Level 2 OU Degree I am copleting the second year of the OU physics degree and "understand" what is taught about the Hydrogen atom there, energy levels et al. I am not yet competent in calculus here. I seek a means, buy a book....view...
  11. P

    I Emission Spectrum & Energy: Exciting Hydrogen Vapor

    By exciting hydrogen vapors with heat or electrical discharges, it is possible to obtain the element's emission spectrum. In it, as can be seen, appear multiple wavelengths, each corresponding to a particular orbital electronic transition. From this it can, therefore, be inferred that heat and...
  12. ergospherical

    I Instability of hydrogen ground state if the time-reversal operator is unitary

    Apparently if we try to represent the time reversal operator by a unitary operator ##T## satisfying ##U(t)T = TU(-t)##, then the ground state of hydrogen (the hamiltonian of which is time-reversal invariant) is unstable. But if ##T## is anti-unitary (i.e. ##\langle a | T^{\dagger} T | b \rangle...
  13. Y

    Why are Hydrogen cars not popular?

    I have no idea about this, I hope it's not a controversial subject. I know it's been around, it's not new. All I know is H2 is dangerous. Other than that, I have no idea. Just want to hear from people with scientific knowledge. Thanks
  14. uxioq99

    The Energy Expectation Value for a Moving Hydrogen Atom

    ##\begin{align} \langle E \rangle &= \int_{\mathbb R^3} \int_{\mathbb R^3} \int_{\mathbb R^3} \int_{\mathbb R^3} g^\dagger (\tilde K) g(K) |\psi_0(x)|^2 \left(E_0 +\frac{\hbar^2 |K|^2}{2m}\right) e^{i(K-\tilde K)\cdot X -\frac{i}{\hbar} \left(\frac{\hbar^2 |K|^2}{2m}-\frac{\hbar^2...
  15. topsquark

    A Solving the Radial Equation for the Dirac Hydrogen Atom Solution

    I'm going to be a bit sketchy here, at least to start with. If you want me to show you exactly where I am I might post a pdf, if that's okay. (Only because it will simplify coding several pages of LaTeX.) Briefly, what I'm trying to do is take this system of equations: ##F^{ \prime } +...
  16. S

    I Are the proton and electron quantum entangled in the hydrogen atom?

    The proton and electron are described by separate wavefunctions. When they come together in the hydrogen atom are they quantum entangled and have a joint wavefunction.
  17. J

    I Two hydrogen atoms and Pauli's exclusion principle

    Hello, I recently came across the following (apparent, I hope) paradox: suppose we have two H atoms. Now, a hydrogen atom is made up of one proton and one electron (fermions), so it is a boson. Then one could have two hydrogen atoms which are in the exact same state (including position). This...
  18. P

    Solubility depends on polarity or on the number of hydrogen bonds?

    Does solubility depend on the polarity of the molecule or on the number of hydrogen bonds that are formed with water? For example: CF4 can form hydrogen bonds, but it's not polar. Glucose Is Polar e can form hydrogen bonds. How can I predict solubility? Thanks
  19. M

    Is there a way to use the hydrogen in the human body?

    I recently read that there is enough hydrogen in the human body to lift 195 lbs off the ground. I know this sounds super-silly but if we ever develop nanites; could they manipulate the hydrogen and allow us to float?
  20. abolfazlghasemi

    Hydrogen dew point in power generators

    Large power generators (for example 200 MW) are cooled by H2 in gas form. H2 temperature is +45 to +75 "C. So why hydrogen dew point is important in generator while the lowest hydrogen temperature is 45 "C? And in some Power Stations is monitored online... Thanks, a lot
  21. C

    I Is the magnetic moment of a hydrogen atom not equal to Bohr's magneton?

    Can you cite experiments where, in some excited states of a hydrogen atom, magnetic moment significantly differs from Bohr's magneton was detected? Correction for magnetic moment of nucleus is insignificant. Only experimental data, not theoretical forecasts. Starting from the experiments of...
  22. S

    Tca mixed with hydrogen peroxide

    A company has made a skin peel made with 33% tca 5% kojic acid and 62% hydrogen peroxide. But you don’t peel. I want to make my own since I can’t afford the product. How do I do it
  23. KingoftheChaosEmpire

    "Rigid airship" using low density hydrogen (LDH) inflation

    I know now that making a full on vacuum airship is unfeasible for it's compressive properties. So why not just make a rigid airship that is evacuated enough that the hydrogen is no longer significantly dangerous to it's surroundings, using say 25-30% density of neutral hydrogen? What's the...
  24. snoopies622

    I Why is the SE better than the KG equation for a hydrogen atom?

    my premises: — one can arrive at the Klein-Gordon equation by applying quantum mechanical operators to the special relativity dynamics equation E^2 = (mc^2)^2 + (pc)^2. — Schrodinger arrived at this equation, but rejected it because it didn't correctly explain the behavior of an electron in a...
  25. S

    Interpreting the various tracks in a hydrogen bubble chamber

    (a) I don't know how to identify which one is the anti-proton track. The anti-proton hits proton at point in the figure where all the lines are coming together but how to identify which one is anti-proton? Do I need to know a certain rule regarding the color of each particle? Thanks
  26. O

    I Why are the spectral lines weak in my hydrogen Geissler tube?

    Using a hand spectroscope, I looked at the spectrum of two geissler tubes, helium and hydrogen. The helium spectrum is what I expected, dominated by five distinct lines. The hydrogen spectrum, however, is somewhat disappointing. It is dominated by an almost continuous spectrum, it is not evident...
  27. D

    Looking for information on hydrogen thyrator

    Greetings, gentlemen. I have come into possession of what I have been told is a hydrogen thyrator. Of course I have done the requisite Googling, but do any of you old EEs have any insight on the item? Original application, general manufacture date, usage today, value, precautions in handling...
  28. P

    I Wavefunction of ionized hydrogen electron

    At what point does the electron become ionized in the hydrogen atom solution
  29. J

    Degradation of Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide

    I started fostering kittens during the pandemic. A very useful veterinary disinfectant that I make use of is accelerated hydrogen peroxide. It is sold under the brand name "Rescue". In its concentrated form it has a shelf life of about 2 years. It's kind of expensive. Typically a dilution of a...
  30. S

    I Partition function rotation

    Hey, I have a question about proving Saha's equation for ionizing hydrogen atoms. The formula is \frac{P_{p}}{P_{H}} = \frac{k_{B} T}{P_{e}} \left(\frac{2\pi m_{e} k_{B}T}{h^2} \right)^{\frac{3}{2}}e^{\frac{-I}{k_{B} T}} with P_{p} pressure proton's, P_{H} pressure hydrogen atoms, m_{e}...
  31. M

    Researching Turboprops: Fuel Comparison of Hydrogen, Methanol, & Jet A1

    Hello I'm trying to get some good reference material so I can do a literature review on Turboprops and a comparison of PSFC of Hydrogen/Methanol/Jet A1 fuels for turboprops. If anyone knows any good source material for this please let me know as I have struggled to find anything. Regards, Michael
  32. R

    Quantum Books recommendation covering the Hydrogen atom and Kepler's laws (separately)

    Hi, I have an interview for masters degree program in 2 weeks and they asked to study two subjects thoroughly, first being Hydrogen atom and second being Kepler's laws. anyone recommends one book about each subject with advanced level questions that would help me understand the subjects to a...
  33. Salmone

    I Matrix element in problem with hydrogen atom

    I have a problem in calculate a matrix element in a problem with hydrogen atom. I have an hydrogen atom and Hamiltonian eigenstates ##|n,l,m>## where ##n## are energy quantum numbers, ##l## are ##L^2## quantum numbers and ##m## are ##L_z## quantum numbers, I have to calculate the matrix element...
  34. guyvsdcsniper

    States in the Hydrogen Atom that are not allowed

    I am a little lost on how to approach this problem. What I know is the following: The r vector is in terms of x y and z hat. I know my two l=0 states can be the 1s and 2s normalized wave function for Hydrogen. Should I be integrating over dxdydz?
  35. guyvsdcsniper

    Probability of electron in hydrogen nucleus for 1s and 2s wave-functions

    For this problem, Is it as simple as using the probability density function, P = Ψ2 and plugging in the radius value given to me? So essentially I am just squaring the wave function and plugging in?
  36. Mr X

    B How does the hydrogen line spectrum work with only one orbit?

    Since hydrogen atom has only one orbit, how does the hydrogen line spectrum work? I saw somewhere, that infinite orbits(n) are possible, but wouldn't having too much energy end up causing the electron to break free from the nucleus and thus ending up as a free electron? So when exactly does...
  37. BenDover

    Why does combining Hydrogen, Oxygen and Sulphur produce a liquid?

    Hydrogen is a gas, sulfur is a solid, oxygen is a gas, why does combining them to produce sulfuric acid produce a liquid?
  38. Mr_Allod

    Probability of finding a pion in a small volume of pionic hydrogen

    Hello, I am trying to figure out the right way to approach this. First of all, other than the different Bohr radius value, does the change to a negative pion make any other difference to calculating the probability? Also what would be the correct way to apply the "small volume"? What I'm...
  39. agnimusayoti

    Average Separation between molecules in hydrogen at STP (Alonso Finn Problem)

    The relative density data: $${\rho_{H_{2},H_{2}O}}=\frac{\rho_{H_{2}}}{\rho_{H_{2}O}}=8.988\times10^{-5}$$ With avogadro number, thus I can obtain number of molecules per 1 ##m^3## of Hydrogen gas, that is: $$N = \frac{{{\rho_{H_{2},H_{2}O}}}\times{\rho_{H_{2}O}}}{M_{r}}\times{N_{A}} $$ thus, I...
  40. Twigg

    I Does putting a hydrogen atom in a box mix angular momentum states?

    If you put a hydrogen atom in a box (##\psi=0## on the walls of the box), spherical symmetry will be broken so ##n##,##l##,##m_l## are no longer guaranteed to be good quantum numbers. In general, the new solutions will be a linear combination of all the ##|n,l,m_l\rangle## states. I know that...
  41. user366312

    How can I calculate hydrogen bonds in a specific direction w.r.t. a C-

    I need to calculate H-bonds in a specific direction of a C-alpha atom of a protein. And, I need to calculate that from a PDB file. Can anyone give me a general guideline/direction/idea regarding how to do that? N.B. I need to write a python program.
  42. A

    Powerline electrolysis hydrogen production

    Hydrogen production consumes a lot of energy because one is running current through water in order to produce hydrogen. Why can't we use current that already runs in powerlines for example like HVDC and create a series electrolysis apparatus. Water electrolysis needs a minimum voltage...
  43. Mayhem

    Zero-point energy of diatomic hydrogen (particle in a box)

    If we take ##H_2## as a "particle" in a box, can the zero-point energy of the overall molecule be calculated as the sum of the zero-point energies of all particles in ##H_2##? That is $$E_ {1,H_2}=\frac{2h^2}{8m_{\mathrm{H^+}}L^2} + \frac{2h^2}{8m_{\mathrm{e^-}}L^2}=...
  44. M

    I Escape of Hydrogen from the Earth's Atmosphere

    Hi ! I ask you two questions: 1- If hydrogen escapes from the Earth's atmosphere as it happens, because if there are anaerobic bacteria that produce hydrogen naturally among some other living beings, because among the thousands and millions of years that life has been on earth, hydrogen was...
  45. Astronuc

    Mining waste for cheaper hydrogen fuel production

    https://phys.org/news/2021-09-ingredient-cheaper-hydrogen-fuel-production.html
  46. T

    A Relation of ionisation voltage vs. pressure for hydrogen

    Suppose we have specific amount of hydrogen gas enclosed inside a metallic chamber and that is connected to a very high positive voltage source. As the voltage is positive and that's so high that all the molecules inside the chamber lost their electrons and there is nothing but a nuclei gas is...
  47. H

    Overlap integral of hydrogen molecule

    Hi! Some help with this problem would be much appreciated. The overlap integral is defined as ##S = \int \phi_A (\mathbf{r}_A) \phi_B (\mathbf{r}_B) \,d\mathbf{r}##. For the two orbitals, I have that $$\phi_A = \frac{1}{\sqrt{\pi}} \Big( \frac{1}{a_0} \Big)^{3/2} e^{-r_A / a_0}$$ for the 1s...
  48. M

    I Dirac equation in the hydrogen atom

    Hello! I went over a calculation of the hydrogen wavefunction using Dirac equation (this one) and I am a bit confused by the angular part. The final result for the wavefunction based on that derivation is this: $$ \begin{pmatrix} if(r) Y_{j l_A}^{m_j} \\ -g(r)...
  49. seandepagnier

    Optimizing Hydrogen Combustion Catalysts for Efficient Stove Design

    I am interested in build a hydrogen stove for cooking and wish to use a catalytic stove. I cannot find much information about this anywhere, but only that nickel can be used for hydrogen rather than platinum. 1) Can I just use stainless scotch brite scrub pad as catalyst assuming it...
  50. H

    Electron wavefunction in hydrogen

    Hi. I would love if someone could check my solution since me and the answer sheet I found online don't agree. The probability is given by the triple integral \begin{align*} \int_0^{r_b} \int_0^{2\pi} \int_0^\pi |\psi (r)|^2 r^2 \sin{\theta} \,d\theta \,d\phi \,dr &= \frac{1}{\pi...
Back
Top