Hydrogen

 The simplest of all elements, hydrogen has only one proton and one electron. It is the most abundant element in the Universe – the Sun, like all other stars, is a vast ball   of seething hot hydrogen gas.

ATOMIC MASS 1.008

STATE Gas

DISCOVERY 1766 (Henry Cavendish)

This gas is found in very useful chemicals and even in the human body – one tenth of which is made of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is used in the production of margarine to thicken it.

A new generation of environment-friendly cars use fuel cells powered by hydrogen.

Three-quarters of all the atoms in the Universe are hydrogen – the lightest of all the elements. The heat and light from stars, including our Sun, comes from hydrogen atoms fusing into helium atoms in each star’s core. In fact, all heavier elements started out as these small atoms, which have gradually fused together.

Liquid hydrogen is used as rocket fuel. Combined with oxygen, it produces the thrust to power a rocket.