Why h2 and not h

It is what powers the sun by fusion to produce helium. Hydrogen is the center of the prevailing cosmological model that describes the early development of the universe as well as the origin of life itself.

Source: Molecular Hydrogen Institute. Molecular hydrogen gas, or H2, is the primary form in which hydrogen is found. In other words, two hydrogen atoms H are covalently bonded a type of chemical bond together as H-H. Reactions of hydrogen with Transition metals Group form metallic hydrides. There is no fixed ratio of hydrogen atom to metal because the hydrogen atoms fill holes between metal atoms in the crystalline structure.

The vast majority of hydrogen produced industrially today is made either from treatment of methane gas with steam or in the production of "water gas" from the reaction of coal with steam. Most of this hydrogen is used in the Haber process to manufacture ammonia.

Hydrogen is also used for hydrogenation vegetable oils, turning them into margarine and shortening, and some is used for liquid rocket fuel. Liquid hydrogen combined with liquid oxygen is a major component of rocket fuel as mentioned above combination of hydrogen and oxygen relapses a huge amount of energy.

Because hydrogen is a good reducing agent, it is used to produce metals like iron, copper, nickel, and cobalt from their ores. Because one cubic feet of hydrogen can lift about 0. However, the use of hydrogen for this purpose was largely discontinued around World War II after the explosion of The Hindenburg ; this prompted greater use of inert helium, rather than flammable hydrogen for air travel. Video Showing the explosion of The Hindenburg.

Video from Youtube. Recently, due to the fear of fossil fuels running out, extensive research is being done on hydrogen as a source of energy. Because of their moderately high energy densities liquid hydrogen and compressed hydrogen gas are possible fuels for the future.

However, it is very costly, and not economically feasible with current technology. Combustion of fuel produces energy that can be converted into electrical energy when energy in the steam turns a turbine to drive a generator.

However, this is not very efficient because a great deal of energy is lost as heat. The production of electricity using voltaic cell can yield more electricity a form of usable energy. Voltaic cells that transform chemical energy in fuels like H 2 and CH 4 are called fuel cells.

These are not self-contained and so are not considered batteries. The hydrogen cell is a type of fuel cell involving the reaction between H 2 g with O 2 g to form liquid water; this cell is twice as efficient as the best internal combustion engine. In the cell in basic conditions , the oxygen is reduced at the cathode, while the hydrogen is oxidized at the anode.

Image of A Hydrogen Fuel Cell. Image made by Ridhi Sachdev. Hydrogen is the fuel for reactions of the Sun and other stars fusion reactions.

Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. All stars are essentially large masses of hydrogen gas that produce enormous amounts of energy through the fusion of hydrogen atoms at their dense cores. In smaller stars, hydrogen atoms collided and fused to form helium and other light elements like nitrogen and carbon essential for life. In the larger stars, fusion produces the lighter and heavier elements like calcium, oxygen, and silicon. On Earth, hydrogen is mostly found in association with oxygen; its most abundant form being water H 2 O.

Hydrogen is only. Because hydrogen is so light, there is only 0. Hydrogen gas can be prepared by reacting a dilute strong acid like hydrochloric acids with an active metal. This method is only practical for producing small amounts of hydrogen in the lab, but is much too costly for industrial production:. The purest form of H 2 g can come from electrolysis of H 2 O l , the most common hydrogen compound on this plant.

Three commonly used reducing agents are carbon in coke or coal , carbon monoxide, and methane. Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day! What is the common name for C9H8O4, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen? How would you classify each of the following, as a pure substance or a mixture: soapy water, hydrogen gas, and sodium chloride? Inside The Actor's Studio.

Hydrogen Specific Elements. A History of Hydrogen General Astronomy. We ask our submitters to thoroughly research questions and provide sources where possible.