Facts about Hydrogen
- 10
A single hydrogen atom's nucleus consists of just one proton, making it the simplest and lightest element on the periodic table with atomic number 1.
- 09
Water splitting through electrolysis requires 286 kilojoules of energy per mole of hydrogen gas produced, making it the primary industrial method for generating carbon-free hydrogen fuel.
- 08
Chlor-alkali plants worldwide produce approximately 10 million tonnes of hydrogen annually as a byproduct when electrolyzing saltwater to manufacture chlorine and sodium hydroxide.
- 07
NASA's Space Launch System rocket will use liquid hydrogen as its primary fuel, with the core stage containing 537,000 gallons to generate 418,000 pounds of thrust during launches beginning in 2025.
- 06
Tritium, a radioactive hydrogen isotope with one proton and two neutrons, has a half-life of 12.32 years and is used in thermonuclear weapons and self-illuminating watch dials.
- 05
In 1938, scientists discovered deuterium, a hydrogen isotope with one proton and one neutron, comprising approximately 0.015% of naturally occurring hydrogen and playing a crucial role in nuclear fusion research.
- 04
At minus 252.87 degrees Celsius, liquid hydrogen achieves a density of 71 kilograms per cubic meter, making it the least dense liquid known to science.
- 03
The most abundant isotope, protium, contains a single proton and comprises 99.985% of naturally occurring hydrogen atoms on Earth.
- 02
Hydrogen gas at temperatures above 400 Kelvin becomes a metallic conductor and exists in Jupiter's interior, comprising most of the planet's mass.
- 01
Hydrogen comprises approximately 75% of all ordinary matter in the universe by mass and was first isolated by Henry Cavendish in 1766.