Chemistry

Properties of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundantly and commonly found element in the universe. Sun and stars comprise hydrogen in most quantities. Moreover, it is the simplest element of all, and the lightest. Around 90 percent of atoms in the universe are hydrogen atoms.

Hydrogen was first and foremost discovered in 1766 by the English chemist Henry Cavendish. Henry Cavendish was the first person ever to discover that hydrogen gas was a substance on its own rather than a combination of substances.

     The hydrogen atom is made of one proton, one electron, and no neutrons, being the only element that exists without neutrons. It has a symbol of H and has an atomic number of 1. Its atomic mass is 1.00794 amu. The melting point for hydrogen is -259.14 C and the boiling point is -252.87 C. It is a non-metal with a crystal structure being hexagonal. It is a colorless and odorless gas which at room temperatures and pressures occurs as diatomic molecules, H2.
The basic isotope of hydrogen is called Protium and the other two isotopes are called Deuterium and Tritium, being the only element whose isotopes is given names.

Hydrogen is such an essential element as without it life on this universe would not exist. It is for a fact third most common element in the human body and one of the six very widespread found elements (Rigden,2002)..
Hydrogen Compounds
Water
H2O is a very common hydrogen compound having a structure of H - O  H. Oxygen atom is bonded to two hydrogen atoms in a molecule of water. Oxygen atom forms the negative centre due to large electro negativity, while each of the hydrogen atoms acquires a partial positive charge. Two hydrogen bonds can each oxygen atom form.

Its molecules are abundantly found on the earth as 70 of the Earth is comprised of water. It can be found in forms of gas, liquid and solid. At normal room temperatures it is odorless, colorless and tasteless.

Ammonia

Ammonia that has a formula of NH3 can be found as a strong smelling liquid or a gas. In a molecule of ammonia, an electronegative atom of nitrogen is tightly bonded to three hydrogen atoms. Each of three H-atoms acquires a partial positive charge whereas the nitrogen atom forms a negative site of the molecule. The molecules of ammonia are associated with H-bonds.

When organic matter decomposes a tiny amount of ammonia is formed. Most of the ammonia that is used is produced commercially through joining of four atoms by force(Rigden,2002)..

Hydrogen Sulphide
It is a compound with a formula H2S.
Hydrogen sulfide is found naturally in some mineral waters as well as in the volcanic gases. During decay of animal matter is when it is formed. It is found in many fuels, like in the crude oil and natural gas. It also is obtained as a byproduct in the refining of these above mentioned fuels. However, it is made artificially by either treating a metal sulfide with an acid or by having a reaction of hydrogen gas with sulfur vapors (Rigden, 2002).

Hydrogen Fluoride
It is a chemical compound with a formula HF. Hydrogen atom is bonded to fluorine to get the chemical hydrogen fluoride. Long zigzag chains of the H-F molecules are found in a solid form of it.
It is from unusually strong hydrogen-bond interactions that in liquid and gas form, the formation of it starts happening. By heating calcium fluoride with sulfuric acid to produce the gas by cooling which could be then condensed, hydrogen fluoride is as a result produced commercially.

Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric Acid, a gaseous inorganic compound, is a solution in water of hydrogen chloride (HCL). It is a strong and corrosive acid. In a dilute form it is found in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is involved in the development of  HYPERLINK httpwww.answers.comtopicpeptic-ulcer t _top peptic ulcers as well (Rigden,2002).

Suphuric Acid
Sulfuric acid is a chemical compound with a formula of H2SO4. Sulphuric acid has a tetrahedral structure along with having a molecule in a hexavalent form.

It is usually colorless, odorless, extremely corrosive and a very oily liquid. It is artificially made by dissolving in water sulfur trioxide. Sulfuric acid in a pure form is not found naturally on the Earths surface (Rigden,2002).

Hydrogen Chloride
Hydrogen chloride having a formula of HCL is a colorless and a very poisonous gas with a very pungent smell. It consists of diatomic molecules, having one hydrogen atom and one chlorine atom joined together by a covalent bond.

By the reaction of sulfuric acid and sodium chloride as well as of hydrogen with chlorine gases it is prepared artificially and furthermore also found as a byproduct of organic chemicals which are chlorinated.

Nitric Acid
It is a strong acid having a formula of HNO3. It is a transparent or yellowish and a fuming corrosive liquid. It has the structure of single and double bonds to non-acidic oxygen atoms. It is mostly produced commercially through the Ostwald process. The process is such that ammonia is oxidized with air so that nitrogen dioxide is produced which is in turn dissolved into water to form 60 percent nitric acid.

Glycerol
Glycerol is an organic compound which has a formula of C3H8O3. It is a clear and transparent organic compound being a type of alcohol. Glycerol is present in animal as well as vegetable oils. It is obtained commercially as a byproduct of fatty acids which are hydrolyzed from oils. It is produced commercially by cracking petroleum into propylene. As natural glycerol supplies are limited glycerol can also be obtained when sugar is fermented.

Methanol
Methanol also known as methyl alcohol has a formula of CH3OH and is a transparent and a flammable liquid. The Lewis structure of Methanol is shown below
H-S-H

It is monohydric  HYPERLINK httpwww.answers.comtopicalcohol t _top alcohol. It tends to melt at 97.8C and boil at 67C. Methanol is mostly produced commercially. However it is also produced naturally in the  HYPERLINK httpwww.answers.comtopicanaerobic-organism t _top anaerobic  HYPERLINK httpwww.answers.comtopicmetabolism t _top metabolism of many varieties of bacteria, and is everywhere in the environment. Thus, there is a small fraction of methanol vapor in the atmosphere (Gupta, 2008).

Use of Hydrogen in Everyday Life
Hydrogen is used for various purposes. It is used widely in balloons. As it is the lightest of gases it is lighter than air it results in balloons flying up. It is also used by meteorologists in weather balloons. These balloons approx 2 m in diameter fly up into the atmosphere attaching instruments to them that record atmospheric condition which is highly useful to them.

Hydrogen is used in extracting metals from their ores. For example, tungsten, that is used in the making of filaments. When heated, hydrogen separates tungsten and water to give us pure tungsten alone, from its form of tungsten oxide in which it is originally extracted.

Hydrogen is also used in rocket fuel. NASA uses liquid hydrogen to fuel the booster rockets of the space shuttle.

For portable cell batteries hydrogen is used which is used in laptops and cell phones. These fuel cells are also used in electric motors which are becoming more and more popular. These cars are higher priced due to the high cost of producing these batteries but the use of hydrogen is highly environmental friendly as no harmful gas emission are let out.

Uses of Hydrogen Compounds
Ammonia
As it is easily mixable with water, it is used widely in cleaners. Toilet bowl cleansers, oven foam, window sprays, wax removers and other household cleaners contain about 5-10 of ammonia. Liquid form of it is used in etching of metals like  aluminum and copper, for dissolving other elements in labs and also to refrigerate rooms or trucks. It is also used in fertilizing of crops. In the synthesizing processes of manufacturing of plastics, pesticides and dyes, ammonia is commonly used. These solutions are used in chemical manufacture to clean, bleach and deodorize (David, 2008).

Ethanol
In everyday life the compound ethanol containing hydrogen has a variety of uses. It is a major component of paints and varnishes which are consumed widely and in large quantities on daily bases. It is also used in alcoholic beverages for drinking purposes and in transparent soaps as well. It is also a substitute for petrol which could be very useful and have an extremely wide use as a result. Moreover, it is also used as a fuel in lamps that work on spirits as well as in stoves and very importantly in scientific apparatus such as thermometers.

Glycerol
Glycerol has vast and varied uses including being used in emulsifiers, stabilizers in baked products, softening agents, plasticizer, ice creams, and tobacco. On the other hand it is also used lotions, mouthwashes, medicines especially cough medicines. Moreover, it is also used as a protecting agent for freezing of human tissues as well as the red blood cells of a human body. Glycerol has major uses like being used in printing inks and in antifreeze elements and also as a nutrient in fermentation.

Sulphuric Acid
Sulfuric acid is a very widely used chemical in the production of a major number of manufactured goods. It is used in the manufacture of fertilizers and drugs as well as in paints and explosives. Super phosphate is also used is the production of fertilizers. For the production of other chemicals like hydrochloric acid and nitric acid, sulphuric acid is used. Another major use is in the petroleum industry where it is used to wash impurities from gasoline. It is used as a dehydrating agent, laboratory agent and even for stain removing purposes and pickling of steel. It is also used as an electrolyte in storage batteries mostly used in motor vehicles.

Hydrogen Fluoride
Its largest use is in the making of fluorine included refrigerants. Also in the preparation of organic fluorocarbon compounds it has been having an increasingly important use. Chemicals like hydrofluoric acid also require the use of hydrogen fluoride. It is also used in the refining of uranium and aluminum. It used in the refining or uranium for use of a nuclear fuel. In manufacturing organic chemicals and stainless steel, hydrogen fluoride is widely used.