h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Elements: Hydrogen - A1129222
Author: The Lemon Tea-strainer - U230002

This is the first page for my elements series. More info will come soon, but im on holiday for the next few days.

here is what you have missed about hydrogen.

first you describe it as being relatively useless, but it is a core component of many really other important substances.

for example methane is CH4, and will be essential for the mars direct program. It will be got by synthesising methane from the atmosphere of mars using a hydrogen stock as a base.

You mention it's use in the synthesis of water, but it's real use is for power, both with oxygen in fuel cells to provide clean electricity for transport (and space applications), and in fusion power in the future.

you only make a passing mention of organic chemmistry, but it is fundamental to most manufacturing (especially plastics) and hydrogen is a key element in this.

you also fail to mention Deutirium (hydrogen 2) and tritium (hydrogen 3) which are isotopes of hydrogen which are vital in nuclear reactions.

I look forward to reading the update.

I think you can take out the first paragraph. It seems a bit awkward

I agree and will do, replacing it with a VERY awkward passage, the paragraph just isn't awkward enough...

Also I am only mentioning the current uses, and btw, in the PAST there have been little known man-made uses, not things that nature does automatically. I shall definitely add deuterium and tritium to the list later, and expand the organic side of things.

for example methane is CH4, and will be essential for the mars direct program. It will be got by synthesising methane from the atmosphere of mars using a hydrogen stock as a base. This process is also currently used (a little) in industry, and has been since the late 1800's.

You mention it's use in the synthesis of water, but it's real use is for power, both with oxygen in fuel cells to provide clean electricity for transport (and space applications). Fuel cells are currently used in the space station and the space shuttle, and in some electric vehicles.

you also fail to mention Deutirium (hydrogen 2) and tritium (hydrogen 3) which are isotopes of hydrogen which are vital in nuclear reactions. These are actually current uses. it has been found that the sun couldn't generate the energy it does without using them.

While mars direct and fusion might appear to be blue sky projects, a lot of the knowledge learned is directly applicable to current unsolvable problems.

i agree, but since i am suffering jet-lag at the moment these updates are not going to appear any time soon. Not to mentio the evil RLS (Real Life Situation) which constatly hangs over us like the guardian of satan's realm.

Author elvised - flea market?

That seems like a reasonable idea.

A1002691, an entry called "Hydrogen" but which is mainly about the chemistry of hydrogen already exists. Perhaps an entry on the uses of hydrogen?