The most common element. Elements. The most common chemical elements on earth and in the universe. On Earth - oxygen, in space - hydrogen

An element is a substance consisting of identical atoms. So, sulfur, helium, iron are elements; they consist only of atoms of sulfur, helium, iron, and they cannot be decomposed into simpler substances. Today, 109 elements are known, but only about 90 of them actually occur in nature. Elements are divided into metals and non-metals. Periodic table classifies elements based on their atomic mass.

A vital element for higher organisms, which is a component of many proteins, accumulates in the hair. History: Latin name - The origin of sulfur is unknown. The Lithuanian name will probably be taken from Slavic peoples, may be related to the Sanskrit color Cyran yellow.

Physical properties: insoluble in water. Yellow, hard, low power, molten. Electronegative 2. 58. This mineral is found in various rocks. It forms in both metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. It is found in quartz compounds in association with other sulfides and oxides. It can also metasomatically replace other minerals. Large quantities of this mineral can be used to produce iron.

Metals

More than three quarters of all elements are metals. Almost all of them are dense, shiny, durable, but easy to forge. IN earth's crust metals are usually found together with other elements. People make airplanes from strong and malleable metals, spaceships, various cars. In the periodic table, metals are indicated in blue. They are divided into alkaline, alkaline earth and transition. Most of the metals we are familiar with - iron, copper, gold, platinum, silver - are transition metals. Aluminum is used to package food, produce beverage cans, and create lightweight and strong alloys. This is the most common metal on Earth (for more details, read the article “Metals”).

The word pyrite comes from the Greek word for fire. Piritas was used in early firearm locks. Because of its resemblance to gold, it is sometimes called fool's gold. Pyrite is also used in jewelry, but its products are scarce because the hardness of the pit is low and reacts chemically to environment.

Sphalerite is a sulfide mineral, zinc sulfide. Also called "deceptive zinc". The most common mineral, zinc, is the most abundant, so most of it comes from that particular mineral. It occurs in combination with pyrite, galena and other sulfide minerals, as well as calcite, dolomite and fluorite. Most often found in hydrothermal veins.

Nonmetals

Nonmetals include only 25 elements, including the so-called semimetals, which can exhibit both metallic and nonmetallic properties. In the periodic table, non-metals are designated yellow, semimetals - orange. All nonmetals, with the exception of graphite (a type of carbon), are poor conductors of heat and electricity, and semimetals, such as germanium or silicon, depending on conditions, can be good conductors, like metals, or not conduct current, like nonmetals. Silicon is used in the production of integrated circuits. To do this, microscopic “paths” are created in it, along which current passes through the circuit. At room temperature, 11 nonmetals (including hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine) are gases. Phosphorus, carbon, sulfur and iodine are in the solid state, and bromine is in the liquid state. Liquid hydrogen (formed by compressing hydrogen gas) serves as fuel for rockets and other spacecraft.

Sometimes sphalerite crystals are clear, but they are very rarely used in jewelry because they are very fragile. Color Yellow, Brown, Grey, Black. Scrotum 3. 5-4 hardness. The name of the mineral comes from the Latin word for lead shine. Galena occurs in crystals, grains and large aggregates in hydrothermal veins.

In rocks in rocks, dolomites, sandstones in rocks. Galena is the main lead in the ore. Cinnamon is a mercury sulfide mineral. The most common mercury ore. Several mines of this age are still in use. This mineral is found in the form of a mineral filler. Crystal cell hexagonal.

Elements in the earth's crust

Most of the earth's crust is made up of just eight elements. Elements are rarely found in pure form; more often they are found in minerals. The mineral calcite is composed of calcium, carbon and oxygen. Calcite is part of limestone. Pyrolusite is composed of the metal manganese and oxygen. Sphalerite consists of sulfur. The most common element in the earth's crust is oxygen. It is often found in combination with another common element, silicon, as well as the most common metals, aluminum and iron. The picture shows sphalerite, which consists of zinc and steel.

Crossroads Prisms, large fragments Uneven half-flows. Moson's hardness is 2-2.5. Gypsum is hydrated calcium sulfate. Promoted sedimentary mineral. Gypsum mineral floors form the mountain deposits of the same name. Stand in enclosed bodies of water in hot climates. It can also be formed from anhydrite when reacting with water.

Gypsum consists of different brines and comes in different colors. The colorless form of gypsum is called selenite. The completely anhydrous form of calcium sulfate is called anhydride. Heated gypsum powder with semi-hydrated calcium sulfate. Gypsum is a very common mineral. Lithuania is located in the northern part. Its large layers are formed from closed reservoirs, gradually evaporating. Such large layers of gypsum were characteristic of the permeability period.

Atoms of elements

Atoms of elements are made up of smaller particles called elementary particles. An atom consists of a nucleus and electrons revolving around it. The atomic nucleus contains two types of particles: protons and neutrons. Atoms of different elements contain different numbers of protons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number of the element (for more details, see the article “Atoms and Molecules”). As a rule, there are as many electrons in an atom as there are protons. There are 18 protons in an argon atom; The atomic number of argon is 18. The atom also has 18 electrons. There is only one proton in a hydrogen atom, and the atomic number of hydrogen is 1. Electrons revolve around the nucleus in different energy levels, ks are called shells. The first shell can accommodate two electrons, the second - 8 electrons, and the third - 18, although usually no more than 8 electrons circulate there. In the periodic table, elements are arranged according to their atomic numbers. Each rectangle contains the symbol of the element, its name, atomic number and relative atomic mass.

Gypsum hardness according to the Moschon scale. In the construction industry - gypsum, drywall, gypsum concrete, etc. for the production of materials. In medicine - for plaster casts. IN agriculture soil improvement.

They can fall from hot springs, hydrothermal veins, volcanic plates, or sulfate-rich springs. Another type of gypsum is industrial. When releasing sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, a process is often used that results in large quantities of gypsum.

Periodic table

The horizontal rows of the table are called periods. All elements belonging to the same period have the same number of electron shells. Elements of the 2nd period have two shells, elements of the 3rd period have three, and so on. The eight vertical rows are called groups, with a separate block of transition metals between the 2nd and 3rd groups. For elements with atomic numbers less than 20 (with the exception of transition metals), the group number coincides with the number of electrons per external level. Regular changes in the properties of elements of the same period are explained by changes in the number of electrons. So in the 2nd period, the melting temperature of solid elements gradually increases from lithium to carbon. All elements of the same group have similar chemical properties. Some groups have special names. So, group 1 consists of alkali metals, group 2 - alkaline earth. Group 7 elements are called halogens, group 8 elements are called noble gases. In the picture you see chalcopyrite, which contains copper, iron and sulfur.

The universe hides many secrets in its depths. For a long time, people have sought to unravel as many of them as possible, and, despite the fact that this does not always work out, science is moving forward by leaps and bounds, allowing us to learn more and more about our origins. So, for example, many will be interested in what is the most common one in the Universe. Most people will immediately think of water, and they will be partly right, because the most common element is hydrogen.

The most abundant element in the Universe

It is extremely rare for people to encounter hydrogen in its pure form. However, in nature it is very often found in association with other elements. For example, when it reacts with oxygen, hydrogen turns into water. And this is far from the only compound that includes this element; it is found everywhere not only on our planet, but also in space.

How did the Earth appear?

Many millions of years ago, hydrogen, without exaggeration, became the building material for the entire Universe. After all, after the big bang, which became the first stage of the creation of the world, nothing existed except this element. elementary because it consists of only one atom. Over time, the most abundant element in the universe began to form clouds, which later became stars. And already inside them reactions took place, as a result of which new, more complex elements that gave birth to the planets.

Hydrogen

This element accounts for about 92% of the atoms in the Universe. But it is found not only in stars, interstellar gas, but also in common elements on our planet. Most often it exists in a bound form, and the most common compound is, of course, water.

In addition, hydrogen is part of a number of carbon compounds that form oil and natural gas.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that it is the most common element throughout the world, surprisingly, it can be dangerous for humans because it sometimes catches fire when it reacts with air. To understand how important a role hydrogen played in the creation of the Universe, it is enough to realize that without it nothing living would have appeared on Earth.

"The two most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." - Harlan Ellison. After hydrogen and helium, the periodic table is full of surprises. Among the most amazing facts there is also the fact that every material we have ever touched, seen, interacted with is made up of the same two things: atomic nuclei, positively charged, and negatively charged electrons. The way these atoms interact with each other - how they push, bond, attract and repel, creating new stable molecules, ions, electrons energy states, - in fact, determines the picturesqueness of the world around us.

Even if it is quantum and electromagnetic properties These atoms and their components allow our Universe, it is important to understand that it did not begin with all these elements. Quite the contrary, she started out practically without them.

You see, to achieve a variety of communication structures and build complex molecules, which underlie everything we know, requires a lot of atoms. Not in quantitative terms, but in variety, that is, that there are atoms with different numbers of protons in their atomic nuclei: this is what makes elements different.

Our bodies need elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, calcium and iron. The crust of our Earth needs elements such as silicon and many others heavy elements, while the Earth's core - in order to generate heat - needs elements from probably the entire periodic table that are found in nature: thorium, radium, uranium and even plutonium.

But let's go back to the early stages of the Universe - before the emergence of man, life, our solar system, before the very first rocky planets and even the first stars - when all we had was a hot, ionized sea of ​​protons, neutrons and electrons. There were no elements, no atoms, and no atomic nuclei: the Universe was too hot for all that. And only when the Universe expanded and cooled did at least some stability appear.

Some time has passed. The first nuclei fused together and never separated again, producing hydrogen and its isotopes, helium and its isotopes, and tiny, barely visible amounts of lithium and beryllium, the latter of which subsequently radioactively decayed into lithium. This is where the Universe began: by the number of nuclei - 92% hydrogen, 8% helium and approximately 0.00000001% lithium. By mass - 75-76% hydrogen, 24-25% helium and 0.00000007% lithium. In the beginning there were two words: hydrogen and helium, and that, one might say, is all.

Hundreds of thousands of years later, the Universe had cooled enough for neutral atoms to form, and tens of millions of years later, gravitational collapse allowed the first stars to form. At the same time, the phenomenon of nuclear fusion not only filled the Universe with light, but also allowed heavy elements to form.

By the time the first star was born, some 50 to 100 million years after the Big Bang, copious amounts of hydrogen had begun to fuse into helium. But more importantly, the most massive stars (8 times more massive than our Sun) burned their fuel very quickly, burning out in just a couple of years. As soon as the cores of such stars ran out of hydrogen, the helium core contracted and began to fuse three atomic nuclei into carbon. It only took a trillion of these heavy stars in the early Universe (which formed many more stars in the first few hundred million years) for lithium to be defeated.

Now you might be thinking that carbon has become the number three element these days? You can think about this because stars synthesize elements in layers, like an onion. Helium is synthesized into carbon, carbon into oxygen (later and at higher temperatures), oxygen into silicon and sulfur, and silicon into iron. At the end of the chain, the iron cannot fuse into anything else, so the core explodes and the star goes supernova.

These supernovae, the stages that led to them, and the consequences enriched the Universe with the contents of the outer layers of the star, hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen, silicon and all the heavy elements that were formed during other processes:

• slow neutron capture (s-process), sequentially arranging elements;
• fusion of helium nuclei with heavy elements (to form neon, magnesium, argon, calcium, and so on);
• rapid neutron capture (r-process) with the formation of elements up to uranium and beyond.

But we have had more than one generation of stars: we have had many of them, and the generation that exists today is built primarily not on virgin hydrogen and helium, but also on remnants from previous generations. This is important because without it we would never have had rocky planets, only gas giants from hydrogen and helium, exclusively.

Over billions of years, the process of star formation and death repeated itself, with more and more enriched elements. Instead of simply fusing hydrogen into helium, massive stars fuse hydrogen into C-N-O cycle, over time equalizing the volumes of carbon and oxygen (and slightly less nitrogen).

Additionally, when stars go through helium fusion to form carbon, it is quite easy to capture an extra helium atom to form oxygen (and even add another helium to the oxygen to form neon), and even our Sun will do this during the red giant phase.

But there is one killer step in stellar forges that removes carbon from the cosmic equation: when a star becomes massive enough to initiate carbon fusion—necessary for a Type II supernova to form—the process that turns the gas into oxygen goes into overdrive, creating much more oxygen than carbon by the time the star is ready to explode.

When we look at supernova remnants and planetary nebulae - the remnants of very massive stars and sun-like stars respectively - we find that oxygen outnumbers carbon in mass and quantity in each case. We also found that none of the other elements are anywhere near as heavy.

So, hydrogen #1, helium #2 - there are a lot of these elements in the Universe. But of the remaining elements, oxygen holds a strong #3, followed by carbon #4, neon #5, nitrogen #6, magnesium #7, silicon #8, iron #9 and medium rounds out the top ten.

What does the future hold for us?

After a long enough period of time, thousands (or millions) of times longer than the current age of the Universe, stars will continue to form, either spewing fuel into intergalactic space or burning it as much as possible. In the process, helium may finally overtake hydrogen in terms of abundance, or hydrogen will remain in first place if it is sufficiently isolated from fusion reactions. Over a long distance, matter that is not ejected from our galaxy can merge again and again, so that carbon and oxygen bypass even helium. Perhaps elements #3 and #4 will displace the first two.

The universe is changing. Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the modern universe, and may rise above hydrogen in the very, very distant future. Every time you breathe in the air and feel satisfied with the process, remember: stars are the only reason oxygen exists.

Of course, in our understanding this is something unified. But it has its own structure and composition. This includes everyone celestial bodies and objects, matter, energy, gas, dust and much more. All this was formed and exists, regardless of whether we see it or feel it.

Scientists have long been considering the following questions: What formed such a universe? And what elements fill it?

Today we will talk about which element is the most common in the universe.

It turns out that this chemical element is the lightest in the world. In addition, its monatomic form makes up approximately 87% of the total composition of the universe. In addition, it is found in most molecular compounds. Even in water, or, for example, it is part organic matter. In addition, hydrogen is a particularly important component of acid-base reactions.
In addition, the element is soluble in most metals. Interestingly, hydrogen is odorless, colorless and tasteless.

In the process of studying, scientists called hydrogen a flammable gas.
As soon as they did not define it. At one time he bore the name of the one who gives birth to water, and then the water-making substance.
Only in 1824 was it given the name hydrogen.

Hydrogen makes up 88.6% of all atoms. The rest is mostly helium. And only a small part is other elements.
Consequently, stars and other gases contain mainly hydrogen.
By the way, again it is also present in stellar temperatures. However, in the form of plasma. And in outer space it is presented in the form of molecules, atoms and ions. Interestingly, hydrogen is capable of forming molecular clouds.

Characteristics of hydrogen

Hydrogen is a unique element because it does not have a neutron. It contains only one proton and an electron.
As stated, it is the lightest gas. It is important that the smaller the mass of the molecules, the higher their speed. Even temperature does not affect this.
The thermal conductivity of hydrogen is one of the highest among all gases.
Among other things, it is highly soluble in metals, which affects its ability to diffuse through them. Sometimes the process leads to destruction. For example, the interaction of hydrogen and carbon. In this case, decarbonization occurs.

The emergence of hydrogen

Appeared in the universe after big bang. Like all chemical elements. According to the theory, in the first microseconds after the explosion, the temperature of the universe was above 100 billion degrees. What formed the bond of three quarks. In turn, this interaction created a proton. Thus, the nucleus of the hydrogen atom arose. During the expansion process, the temperature dropped and quarks formed protons and neutrons. This is how hydrogen actually came into being.

In the interval from 1 to 100 seconds after the formation of the universe, some protons and neutrons combined. Thus forming another element - helium.
Subsequent expansion of space and, as a consequence, a decrease in temperature stopped the connecting reactions. What's important is that they launched again inside the stars. This is how atoms of other chemical elements were formed.
As a result, it turns out that hydrogen and helium are the main engines for the formation of other elements.

Helium is generally the second most abundant element in the universe. Its share is 11.3% of all outer space.

Properties of helium

It, like hydrogen, is odorless, colorless and tasteless. In addition, it is the second lightest gas. But its boiling point is the lowest known.

Helium is inert, non-toxic and monatomic gas. Its thermal conductivity is high. According to this characteristic, it again ranks second after hydrogen.
Helium is extracted using the separation method at low temperatures.
Interestingly, helium was previously considered a metal. But during the study it was determined that it was gas. Moreover, the main one in the composition of the universe.

All the elements on Earth, with the exception of hydrogen and helium, were created billions of years ago by the alchemy of stars, some of which are now inconspicuous white dwarfs somewhere on the other side Milky Way. The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies are created in the depths of collapsing stars.

We are created from star matter.
Carl Sagan

Applying elements

Humanity has learned to extract and use chemical elements for their benefit. Thus, hydrogen and helium are used in many fields of activity. For example, in:

• Food Industry;
• metallurgy;
• chemical industry;
• oil refining;
• electronics production;
• cosmetic industry;
• geology;
• even in the military sphere, etc.

As you can see, these elements play an important role in the life of the universe. Obviously, our very existence directly depends on them. We know that there is growth and movement happening every minute. And despite the fact that they are small individually, everything around is based on these elements.
Truly, hydrogen and helium, as well as other chemical elements, are unique and amazing. Perhaps it is impossible to argue with this.

It was a sensation - it turns out essential substance on Earth consists of two equally important chemical elements. “AiF” decided to look at the periodic table and remember thanks to what elements and compounds the Universe exists, as well as life on Earth and human civilization.

HYDROGEN (H)

Where it occurs: the most common element in the Universe, its main “building material”. Stars are made of it, including the Sun. Thanks to thermonuclear fusion With the participation of hydrogen, the Sun will warm our planet for another 6.5 billion years.

What is useful: in industry - in the production of ammonia, soap and plastics. Hydrogen energy has great prospects: this gas does not pollute the environment, since when burned it produces only water vapor.

CARBON (C)

Where it occurs: Every organism is largely made of carbon. In the human body this element occupies about 21%. So, our muscles consist of 2/3 of it. In the free state, it occurs in nature in the form of graphite and diamond.

What is useful: food, energy and much more. etc. The class of carbon-based compounds is huge - hydrocarbons, proteins, fats, etc. This element is indispensable in nanotechnology.

NITROGEN (N)

Where it occurs: The Earth's atmosphere is 75% nitrogen. Part of proteins, amino acids, hemoglobin, etc.

What is useful: necessary for the existence of animals and plants. In industry it is used as a gaseous medium for packaging and storage, a refrigerant. With its help, various compounds are synthesized - ammonia, fertilizers, explosives, dyes.

OXYGEN (O)

Where it occurs: The most common element on Earth, it accounts for about 47% of the mass of the solid crust. Sea and fresh waters consist of 89% oxygen, the atmosphere - 23%.

What is useful: Oxygen allows living things to breathe; without it, fire would not be possible. This gas is widely used in medicine, metallurgy, food industry, and energy.

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

Where it occurs: In the atmosphere, in sea water.

What is useful: Thanks to this compound, plants can breathe. The process of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air is called photosynthesis. This is the main source of biological energy. It is worth recalling that the energy that we obtain from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) has been accumulated in the depths of the earth over millions of years thanks to photosynthesis.

IRON (Fe)

Where it occurs: one of the most common in solar system elements. The cores of the terrestrial planets consist of it.

What is useful: metal used by humans since ancient times. The whole historical era was called the Iron Age. Now up to 95% of global metal production comes from iron, which is the main component of steels and cast irons.

SILVER (Ag)

Where it occurs: One of the scarce elements. Previously found in nature in native form.

What is useful: From the middle of the 13th century it became a traditional material for making tableware. It has unique properties, therefore it is used in various industries - in jewelry, photography, electrical engineering and electronics. The disinfecting properties of silver are also known.

GOLD (Au)

Where it occurs: Previously found in nature in native form. It is mined in the mines.

What is useful: the most important element of the world financial system, because its reserves are small. It has long been used as money. Currently, all bank gold reserves are assessed

32 thousand tons - if you fuse them together, you get a cube with a side of only 12 m. Used in medicine, microelectronics, and nuclear research.

SILICON (Si)

Where it occurs: In terms of prevalence in the earth's crust, this element ranks second (27-30% of the total mass).

What is useful: Silicon is the main material for electronics. Also used in metallurgy and in the production of glass and cement.

WATER (H2O)

Where it occurs: Our planet is 71% covered with water. The human body consists of 65% of this compound. There is water in outer space, in the bodies of comets.

Why it’s useful: Is of key importance in creating and maintaining life on Earth because thanks to molecular properties is a universal solvent. The water has a lot unique properties that we don't think about. So, if it did not increase in volume when freezing, life simply would not have arisen: reservoirs would freeze to the bottom every winter. And so, as it expands, the lighter ice remains on the surface, maintaining a viable environment underneath.

We all know that hydrogen fills our Universe by 75%. But do you know what other chemical elements there are that are no less important for our existence and play a significant role for the life of people, animals, plants and our entire Earth? The elements from this rating form our entire Universe!

10. Sulfur (abundance relative to silicon – 0.38)

This chemical element is listed under the symbol S in the periodic table and is characterized by atomic number 16. Sulfur is very common in nature.

9. Iron (abundance relative to silicon – 0.6)

Denoted by the symbol Fe, atomic number - 26. Iron is very common in nature, it plays a particularly important role in the formation of the inner and outer shell of the Earth's core.

8. Magnesium (abundance relative to silicon – 0.91)

In the periodic table, magnesium can be found under the symbol Mg, and its atomic number is 12. What is most amazing about this chemical element is that it is most often released when stars explode during the process of their transformation into supernovae.

7. Silicon (abundance relative to silicon – 1)

Denoted as Si. The atomic number of silicon is 14. This blue-gray metalloid is very rarely found in the earth's crust in its pure form, but is quite common in other substances. For example, it can even be found in plants.

6. Carbon (abundance relative to silicon – 3.5)

Carbon in the periodic table of chemical elements is listed under the symbol C, its atomic number is 6. The most famous allotropic modification of carbon is one of the most coveted precious stones in the world - diamonds. Carbon is also actively used in other industrial purposes for more everyday purposes.

5. Nitrogen (abundance relative to silicon – 6.6)

Symbol N, atomic number 7. First discovered by Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford, nitrogen most often occurs in the form of nitric acid and nitrates.

4. Neon (abundance relative to silicon – 8.6)

It is designated by the symbol Ne, atomic number is 10. It is no secret that this particular chemical element is associated with a beautiful glow.

3. Oxygen (abundance relative to silicon – 22)

A chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8, oxygen is essential to our existence! But this does not mean that it is present only on Earth and serves only for human lungs. The universe is full of surprises.

2. Helium (abundance relative to silicon – 3,100)

The symbol for helium is He, the atomic number is 2. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and its boiling point is the lowest of all chemical elements. And thanks to him, the balls soar skyward!

1. Hydrogen (abundance relative to silicon – 40,000)

The true number one on our list, hydrogen is found in the periodic table under the symbol H and has atomic number 1. It is the lightest chemical element on the periodic table and the most abundant element in the entire known universe.

The simplest and most common element

Hydrogen has only one proton and one electron (it is the only element without a neutron). It is the simplest element in the universe, which explains why it is also the most abundant, Nyman said. However, an isotope of hydrogen called deuterium contains one proton and one neutron, and another, known as tritium, has one proton and two neutrons.

In stars, hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium, the second most abundant element in the universe. Helium has two protons, two neutrons and two electrons. Together, helium and hydrogen make up 99.9 percent of all known matter in the universe.

However, there is about 10 times more hydrogen in the universe than helium, Nyman says. “Oxygen, which is the third most abundant element, is about 1,000 times less abundant than hydrogen,” she added.

Generally speaking, the higher the atomic number of an element, the less of it can be found in the universe.

Hydrogen in the Earth

The composition of the Earth, however, is different from that of the Universe. For example, oxygen is the most abundant element by weight in the earth's crust. It is followed by silicon, aluminum and iron. IN human body The most abundant element by weight is oxygen, followed by carbon and hydrogen.

Role in the human body

Hydrogen has a number of key roles in human body. Hydrogen bonds help DNA stay coiled. In addition, hydrogen helps maintain the correct pH in the stomach and other organs. If your stomach becomes too alkaline, hydrogen is released as it is associated with regulating this process. If the environment in the stomach is too acidic, hydrogen will bond with other elements.

Hydrogen in water

In addition, it is hydrogen that allows ice to float on the surface of water, since hydrogen bonds increase the distance between its frozen molecules, making them less dense.

Typically, a substance is denser when it is in a solid state rather than a liquid, Nyman said. Water is the only substance that becomes less dense when solid.

What is the danger of hydrogen

However, hydrogen can also be dangerous. Its reaction with oxygen led to the disaster of the Hindenburg airship, which killed 36 people in 1937. Besides, hydrogen bombs can be incredibly destructive, although they have never been used as a weapon. However, their potential was demonstrated in the 1950s by countries such as the USA, USSR, Great Britain, France and China.

Hydrogen bombs, like atomic bombs, use a combination of nuclear fusion and fission reactions to cause destruction. When they explode, they create not only mechanical shock waves, but also radiation.