6/14/25, 9:07 PM Chat | Google AI Studio
Hydrogen and its Compounds
Introduction to Hydrogen
Discovery: Discovered by Henry Cavendish.
Naming: Named by Antoine Lavoisier.
Properties: Shows properties of both alkali metals and halogens.
Abundance: It is the lightest element and constitutes about 70% of the universe by mass and 45% by
volume.
Isotopes: Hydrogen has three isotopes:
1. Protium (¹H): Non-radioactive.
2. Deuterium (²H or D): Non-radioactive.
3. Tritium (³H or T): Radioactive.
Forms of Hydrogen:
H₂: Dihydrogen gas
H⁺: Hydrogen ion (Proton)
H₃O⁺: Hydronium ion
H⁻: Hydride ion
H: Hydrogen atom
Preparation of Hydrogen (H₂) Gas
1. Lab Method: Reaction of an active metal with a mineral acid.
Active Metal + Mineral Acid → Salt + Hydrogen Gas
2. Electrolysis of Water: Passing an electric current through water causes it to ionize into H⁺ and OH⁻.
Hydrogen gas (H₂) is produced at the cathode.
Oxygen gas (O₂) is produced at the anode.
3. Reaction with Metals: Metals more reactive than hydrogen react with acids to produce hydrogen gas.
Reactivity Series: K > Na > Ca > Mg > Al > ... > H
4. Reaction with Water: Very reactive metals react with water to produce hydrogen gas.
Examples: Na, K, Ca
5. Reaction with Steam: Less reactive metals react with steam.
Examples: Zn, Mg, Fe
6. Bosch Process:
Step 1: Coke (carbon) is heated with steam at a high temperature to produce "water gas" or "syngas" (a
mixture of CO and H₂).
Step 2: The syngas is then reacted with more steam to produce pure and dry hydrogen gas and carbon
dioxide.
7. Lane's Process:
Steam is passed over red-hot iron at a very high temperature (1025 K - 1075 K).
Reaction: 3Fe + 4H₂O (steam) → Fe₃O₄ + 4H₂
Physical Properties of Hydrogen
1. It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas.
2. It is slightly soluble in water (a polar solvent) but highly soluble in non-polar organic solvents like toluene,
chloroform, and benzene. This is because hydrogen is a non-polar molecule.
https://aistudio.google.com/prompts/new_chat 1/3
6/14/25, 9:07 PM Chat | Google AI Studio
3. It is the lightest known substance.
Relative Density: 0.0695
Melting Point: 13.8 K
Boiling Point: 20.4 K
4. It is highly combustible.
5. It can be liquefied at very low temperatures and high pressures.
6. Metals like Nickel (Ni), Palladium (Pd), Platinum (Pt), Iron (Fe), and Gold (Au) can adsorb large volumes of
hydrogen gas on their surfaces.
Chemical Properties of Hydrogen
1. Neutral: Hydrogen gas is neutral to litmus paper (pH ≈ 7).
2. Stability: It is a stable molecule due to its high bond dissociation energy.
3. Reaction with Metals: Reacts with active metals to form metal hydrides.
2Na + H₂ → 2NaH (Sodium Hydride)
Ca + H₂ → CaH₂ (Calcium Hydride)
4. Reaction with Non-metals: Reacts with non-metals to form covalent compounds.
H₂ + X₂ → 2HX (Hydrogen Halide, where X = F, Cl, Br, I)
2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O (Water)
H₂ + S → H₂S (Hydrogen Sulfide)
C + 2H₂ → CH₄ (Methane)
5. Reducing Agent: Acts as a strong reducing agent, reducing metal oxides to their respective metals.
CuO + H₂ → Cu + H₂O
ZnO + H₂ → Zn + H₂O
PbO + H₂ → Pb + H₂O
6. Hydrogenation: Reduces unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes, alkynes) to saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes)
in the presence of a catalyst (Ni, Pd, or Pt).
CH₂=CH₂ (Ethene) + H₂ → CH₃-CH₃ (Ethane)
CH≡CH (Acetylene) + 2H₂ → CH₃-CH₃ (Ethane)
Uses of Hydrogen
1. Manufacture of synthetic petrol.
2. As a rocket fuel (in liquid form), which does not cause pollution.
3. Hydrogenation of vegetable oils to produce solid fats (e.g., Vanaspati Ghee/Dalda).
4. As a reducing agent in laboratories and industries.
5. In the preparation of important chemicals like ammonia, water gas, and fertilizers.
6. In the synthesis of organic compounds like methanol (CH₃OH).
CO + 2H₂ → CH₃OH (in the presence of a Cu/ZnO catalyst)
Ortho and Para Hydrogen
These are two forms of the hydrogen molecule (H₂) that differ in the spin of their nuclei.
1. Ortho Hydrogen: Molecules in which the nuclei of both hydrogen atoms spin in the same direction (either
both clockwise or both anti-clockwise).
https://aistudio.google.com/prompts/new_chat 2/3
6/14/25, 9:07 PM Chat | Google AI Studio
2. Para Hydrogen: Molecules in which the nuclei of the two hydrogen atoms spin in opposite directions (one
clockwise, one anti-clockwise).
Key Points:
Para hydrogen has lower energy than ortho hydrogen.
At absolute zero (0 K), hydrogen gas exists as 100% para hydrogen.
At room temperature, ordinary hydrogen is a mixture with a ratio of Ortho:Para ≈ 3:1 (75% Ortho, 25% Para).
Ortho and para hydrogen have similar chemical properties but different physical properties (like melting
point, boiling point, etc.).
https://aistudio.google.com/prompts/new_chat 3/3
