HYDROGEN
✓ Hydrogen is the first element in the periodic table.
✓ In elemental form, it exists as diatomic molecule H2, and this H2 is called dihydrogen.
Isotopes of hydrogen [11H, 12H, 13H]
✓ Isotopes are the atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but a different mass number.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Colourless, odorless and Tasteless. Very slightly soluble in water ➢ Pure H2 burns silently with
[Sparingly soluble]. pale-blue invisible flame.
Density [Lighter than air].
Neutral to litmus PAPER.
Hydrogen is the lightest of all gases.
➢ Hydrogen gas is non-supporter of combustion but itself is combustible.
POP TEST:
USES OF HYDROGEN:
(a) The oxy-hydrogen flame obtained by burning hydrogen and oxygen. A mixture of hydrogen & oxygen on burning
produces heat [temperatures upto 2800°C]. Such high temperature flames are used for welding & cutting metals.
(b) It is used as a fuel as hydrogen has high heat of combustion. Liquid hydrogen is used as a rocket fuel
(c) Hydrogen combines with nitrogen at 450°C and in the presence of catalyst iron to give ammonia. Ammonia is used in the
manufacture of urea, fertilizers, nitric acid, explosives, etc.
(d) Hydrogen is used in preparation of vanaspati ghee from liquid vegetable fats by catalytic hydrogenation process
➢ Catalytic hydrogenation is a process by which hydrogen gas is passed through vegetable oils in the
presence of a catalyst like Ni or Pt to convert the oils into vanaspati ghee.
HYDROGEN REACTION WITH OXYGEN
➢ Hydrogen reacts with oxygen in a combustion reaction to form water.
➢ It’s a classic, highly exothermic reaction. It is a detonating mixture
• The reaction releases a large amount of energy → that’s why hydrogen is used in rockets and fuel cells
HYDROGEN REACTION WITH NITROGEN
HABER PROCESS
• High temperature and pressure is required.
• Catalyst: Iron (Fe).
• Produces ammonia, essential for: Fertilizers , Explosives, Many industrial chemicals
HYDROGEN REACTION WITH CHLORINE
• Can be explosive, especially in sunlight 🌞.
• Direct sunlight is not preferred → as it would result in explosive reaction
HYDROGEN REACTION WITH SULPHUR
Product: Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) Colourless gas, Rotten egg smell . Toxic even at low concentrations.
ELECTROLYSIS — It is the process of decomposition of a chemical compound [electrolyte] in the
fused [molten] or solution state by passage of an electric current resulting in the dissociation of the
chemical compound into ions which are discharged as neutral atoms at the respective electrodes.
ELECTROLYTE — A chemical compound which in the molten or solution state can conduct electric
current & undergo chemical decomposition due to flow of current.
TWO ELECTRODES:
• Cathode (−) → reduction happens here.
• Anode (+) → oxidation happens here.
HYDROGEN IS OBTAINED BY ELECTROLYSIS OF ACIDIFIED WATER
➢ Pure water is almost a non-electrolyte and will not normally conduct
electricity. [It consists almost entirely of molecules]
➢ It can be electrolytically decomposed by addition of dilute H2SO4
(sulphuric acid).
Electrolyte: Dilute sulphuric acid is preferred to acidify water because it is a non-volatile acid.
Electrodes: Anode and Cathode made up of PLATINUM FOIL.
O2 gas is liberated at anode.
H2 gas is liberated at cathode.
The ratio of hydrogen and oxygen liberated at cathode and anode is 2 : 1 by volume.
LABORATORY PREPARATION OF HYDROGEN
REACTANTS: Granulated zinc + dilute hydrochloric acid
Zn + 2HCl ⟶ ZnCl2 + H2 (g)
COLLECTION:
✓ Hydrogen gas is collected by downward displacement of water as it is
sparingly soluble in water.
✓ Though hydrogen gas is lighter than air, it is not collected by downward displacement of air as a mixture of hydrogen and
air can lead to an explosion.
INDUSTRIAL METHOD OF PREPARATION OF HYDROGEN - BOSCH PROCESS
Step I — Production of water gas.
Step II — Reduction of steam to hydrogen by carbon monoxide.
✓ Water gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen which is produced by passing steam over hot coke at 1000°C.
✓ The mixture uses iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃) as catalyst.
✓ A promoter used is Chromic oxide.
OXIDATION REDUCTION
A chemical process that involves addition of oxygen to a substance A chemical process that involves addition of hydrogen to a substance
A chemical process that involves removal of hydrogen from a substance. A chemical process that involves removal of oxygen from a substance.
REDOX REACTIONS
Redox reactions are those in which reduction and oxidation both take place simultaneously i.e., one substance is reduced while the other gets oxidized.
➢ An oxidizing agent is reduced, causing another ➢ A reducing agent is oxidized, causing another
substance to be oxidized. substance to be reduced.
HYDROGEN IS A GOOD/STRONG REDUCING AGENT:
✓ When hydrogen is passed over hot metallic oxides of copper, lead, iron, etc. it removes oxygen from them and thus reduces them to
their corresponding metals. Hence, hydrogen acts as a good reducing agent.
✓ When hydrogen gas is passed over heated copper oxide, copper oxide gets reduced to metallic copper by the removal of oxygen from it.