In our universe hydrogen is the most abundant element. The Sun and stars have a larger proportion of hydrogen in their composition. According to the estimate of the astronomers, there are 90% of hydrogen atoms among all the atoms of the universe. The presence of hydrogen in the sun’s chromosphere and photosphere and many nebulas was revealed by the spectroscopical observations at the beginning of the 20th century. Frequently hydrogen appears in a combined form with many compounds.
Hydrogen is Most Abundant Element in Universe
Other than any other element, hydrogen is a component of the many compounds in the world. The air which is present around us, the cells of our body, the water we use, and all of the objects which are present around us have one thing in common that is the hydrogen. In other words, hydrogen is the main stellar and inter-stellar constituent of the universe. Among the compounds which are having hydrogen as their component water is the most abundant. Hydrogen is also the main component of the many other compounds such as cellulose, sugar, starch, many of the minerals, acids, oils, alcohols, fats, petroleum and many other countless substances. By combining with oxygen, hydrogen forms the water that is the most important liquid to sustain life as water is the principal constituent of the vegetal and animals’ life. Hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen are the basic elements of all the organic molecules and are most important for our life.
Every organic compound is made up of hydrogen and also it is constituent of many inorganic compounds as well. Even though hydrogen is the most common element but it is very rare to find hydrogen on the earth but hydrogen can be commonly found in the outer space. Hydrogen is much lighter in weight and it can easily escape to the environment or atmosphere. In nature, hydrogen occurs in the gaseous form in the smaller amounts. The atmosphere of the earth has one part of hydrogen per 15,000 to 20,000 of the air (the number of molecules) but this proportion is increasing with the altitude. The gasses which are emitted by the charcoal mines, oil wells, and by the volcanoes all contain the hydrogen.
Main Features of Hydrogen
At room temperature, hydrogen is colorless, odorless, nonpoisonous and tasteless gas and it consists of the diatomic molecules. Hydrogen occurs in the form of isotopes and unlike the other elements, these isotopes have different symbols and chemical names. In a naturally occurring sample of the hydrogen one atom of deuterium is present for every 7000 hydrogen atoms and one atom of the radioactive tritium is present for every 1018 hydrogen atoms.
Hydrogen is much reactive and if it does not escape to the environment then it readily reacts with the other compounds and cannot be found in the free state. So, to find the hydrogen naturally on the earth one should look for the hydrogen in the other compounds. It takes part in many reactions and is the component of many compounds. Hydrogen is unique in nature and its properties do not exactly match the other elements.