What is the most common element in the universe?

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

The most common element in the universe

Very rarely people have to deal with hydrogen in pure form. Nevertheless, in nature it is very often encountered in connection with other elements. For example, reacting with oxygen, hydrogen turns into water. And this is far from the only compound, which includes this element, it is found everywhere not only on our planet, but also in outer space.

How the Earth came about

Many millions of years ago, hydrogen, without exaggeration, became a building material for the entire universe. After all, after the big bang, which was the first stage of the creation of the world, there was nothing but this element. The hydrogen molecule is elementary, because it consists of only one atom. Over time, the most common element in the universe began to form clouds, which later became stars. And already inside of them there were reactions, as a result of which new, more complex elements that spawned planets appeared.

Hydrogen

This element accounts for about 92% of the atoms in the universe. But it is found not only in the composition of stars, interstellar gas, but also common elements on our planet. Most often it exists in a connected 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.

Interesting facts about hydrogen

• This most common element on Earth is also the easiest. Nevertheless, it is about 75% of the mass of all elements of the planet.
• In large quantities, hydrogen is found in stars and "gas giants", playing an important role in the reactions occurring in them.
• Hydrogen in 1766 was discovered by a scientist named Henry Cavendish, who managed to get it as a result of the oxidation reaction of the metal.
• Two years later, the element got its name "hydrogen." It was formed as a result of the union of two Greek words - "hydro" (water) and "genesis" (birth), that is, the element is actually called "water-generating".
• At a temperature of -252.87 degrees, the most common element in the universe passes into a liquid state, in which it can be used as a rocket fuel.
• The element can also be brought to a solid state, then it becomes metallic hydrogen, the application of which has not yet been found.
• It is used as an alternative fuel for transport. It is more environmentally friendly than gasoline.
• Now hydrogen fuel is being developed, which could be used everywhere. One of the possible options is the use of an element in the solid state. If the work is successful, it will be a significant breakthrough.
• The most common element in the universe is used in various fields, from chemical to oil.

Conclusion

Although this is the most common element in the whole world, surprisingly, for a person it can be dangerous, as it sometimes lights up, reacting with the air. To understand how important hydrogen played in the creation of the universe, it is sufficient to realize that without it nothing would have appeared alive on Earth.