Hydrogen

As you may not know already, Hydrogen is the simplest of all the atoms. It consists of nothing more than a single proton, which serves as its nucleus, circled by a single electron. Its simplicity helps to explain why it is by far the most abundant element in the universe. Huge quantities exist in interstellar space, and it is the predominant element in stars. It has such a dominant position among the other elements, that it makes up an astonishing 93 percent of all the atoms in the universe. All the other elements were made either by nuclear reactions taking place in the core of burning stars, or by the catastrophic explosions called supernovas that are sometimes produced when stars die.

Given the major role played by hydrogen in the universe, its surprising to learn that there is very little Hydrogen gas in the Earth's atmosphere. If you were to take 100 million liters of air, only about 5 liters of it would be Hydrogen: Hydrogen is a very light gas. Much of the Hydrogen still found on Earth is bound up in the water molecules that form our great oceans and seas. About three percent of the Earth's crust is made up of Hydrogen atoms. The combination of Hydrogen and Oxygen also produces water, of course but it is this reaction that gave birth to the name of Hydrogen, which is derived from the Greek workds hydro, or "water," and genes, or "creator."

Hydrogen is well known for being a gas that is lighter than air. A balloon filled with Hydrogen will immediately start rising when released and float away. Its low density, the smallest of any gas, gives it this great lifting power in air. It has since been replaced by Helium, which is slightly denser but far safer because it is nonflammable.

Hydrogen is contained in an almost uncountable number of organic, or carbon containing, compounds, and biological compounds present in living organisms. It is often combined directly with carbon in organic molecules. Among the immense variety of organic molecules in which Hydrogen is linked chemically to carbon are hydrocarbons, the long, chainlike molecule found in natural gas and oil that, when broken apart, release the energy we use to run automobiles.

Another group of organic compounds is the carbohydrates, which consist of molecules of Hydrogen, carbon, and Oxygen found in sugars and starchy foods that supply to humans and plant eating animals with energy. Hydrogen compounds are also found in perfumes, dyes, pesticides, DNA, and proteins. The list goes on and on.

Commercially produced Hydrogen gas has many uses in the chemical and food industries. Probaby its most important use in the chemical industry is for the manufacture of Ammonia, an ingredient of fertilizers. For the preparation of food, large quantites of Hydrogen are used in the process called hydrogenation. In this process, Hydrogen is added to a liquid vegetable oil, converting it to a solid such as margarine! Because it contains much less cholesterol, a fatty substance that tends to clog blood vessels, margarine is used as a substitute for butter, which is an animal fat.