Robert Boyle had synthesized hydrogen gas while experimenting with iron and acids in 1671.
However, it was recognized as a distinct element only in 1766 by Henry Cavendish. Hydrogen gas was produced when Cavendish dissolved metal in sulphuric acid. He first found that hydrogen is lighter than any other gas. Later, he confirmed that hydrogen forms water when it burns. This property inspired the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier to use the Greek term ‘hydrogen’ which means ‘water maker’ to describe it.
Found abundantly in living matter, plants and animals, hydrogen is one of the most important elements. Hydrogen is found almost everywhere.
We have it all around us in the form of water, fats and proteins. But it is also found in stars and giant planets. Even the sun is mostly made up of hydrogen. Inside the sun and other stars, hydrogen atoms are converted to helium atoms due to intense pressure. This process is called fusion.
Hydrogen is used to make ammonia for fertilizers. In rocket fuel, liquid hydrogen is combined with liquid oxygen to produce a powerful explosion.
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