You must have seen the launching of rockets on television. Rockets shoot up straight into the sky, and disappear among the clouds in no time. They are so fast. The element used for the propulsion of rockets is hydrogen.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. And it is a highly flammable element. When hydrogen comes in contact with oxygen, it produces violent reactions. The explosion generates sufficient energy to propel the rocket upward and break the gravitational pull of the Earth. Besides, the reaction produces an almost invisible flame too.
Hydrogen is a colourless gas. And it is the only element which lacks any neutrons. Let us look at some other characteristics that make this element special!
Hydrogen is the lightest of all elements. It is even lighter than air; and therefore, in its pure form it will easily escape from Earth’s gravity into space. Hence, hydrogen present on earth exists in chemical compounds such as water. When extreme pressure is applied to it, hydrogen turns into liquid form. Its atomic number is one and the symbol is H.
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