Chemistry Paper Example on Hydrogen Element

The hydrogen element is Robert Boyle discovered an element which is denoted by the symbol H. Hydrogen in the year 1671.Boyle discovered and described the reaction that occurs between a dilute acid and iron filings, which ended up producing the hydrogen gas. N 1766, Henry Cavendish became the first person to discover hydrogen gas as a distinct element, and thus named the gas as an inflammable air. Further discoveries on the element in 1781 showed that hydrogen produced water when burnt. The element was given the name hydrogen in the year 1783 by Antoine Lavoisier from two Greek words hydro which means water and genes which mean creator. Many experiments on the hydrogen gas were carried out during the period of its discovery ad they included liquefaction, solidification, and use in hydrogen-filled balloons for travel as well as rigid airships lifts which came to be known as Zeppelins.

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Properties of Hydrogen

Physical Properties of Hydrogen

Hydrogen consists of only one proton in its nucleus, thus making it the smallest chemical element. The atomic number of hydrogen element is 1, and its atomic weight is 1.0079amu, thus being the lightest of all the elements in the periodic table. Despite the element being the smallest and the lightest, it is the most copious chemical material in the universe particularly in the gas giant planets and in the stars. On the Earth surface, it is rare to find monoatomic hydrogen. This because the element has a high propensity of forming covalent bonds with all other elements that come into contact with it. On earth, the hydrogen element is prevalent in the form of chemical compounds like water and the hydrocarbons.

The isotopes of the hydrogen gas are three, and they include two stable isotopes and one natural isotope which have a natural abundance of 99.9885%. Hydrogen is used in chemical industry for the manufacture of ammonium fertilizer in the Haber process, making clean fuel used in cars and busses and also used in the glass industry for the manufacture of flat glass sheets which are used as the protective atmosphere. Hydrogen is an odorless, tasteless, non-toxic and colorless gas. The element has one electron and one proton. The common isotope of the element is protium which lacks neutrons. The boiling point of hydrogen is -252.870C while the melting point is at -259.140C. The hydrogen gas is lighter than air with a density of 0.08988g/L. The covalent radius of the element is 31.5 pm, and it has a double oxidation state of (+1,-1), thus reacting as both a reducing and oxidizing agent.

Chemical Properties

Hydrogen gas has some properties which make it distinct from other elements in the periodic table. The combustion property of hydrogen is that the gas is highly flammable. The hydrogen gas burns in the air at a wide range of concentrations which range from 4% to 75% by capacity. The enthalpy of combustion of the hydrogen gas is -286Kj/mol. When hydrogen mixes with the atmospheric air, it forms an explosive mixture in a concentration from 4% to 74%. Hydrogen also forms an explosive mixture with chlorine gas at 5% to 95%. A slight trigger on the mixtures formed by sunlight, spark or heat can lead to a massive explosion. In other conditions, the flames of the hydrogen gas are blue in color resembling the flames produced by the natural gasses. The hydrogen gas reacts with all other oxidizing elements, and at room temperature, the element can react spontaneously and violently with fluorine to form the corresponding halide of hydrogen fluoride and also with chlorine to form hydrogen fluoride.

Oxygen Element

Oxygen forms an important part of the atmosphere as it sustains all the terrestrial life on earth, and is denoting by the symbol O. Most of the major groups of the structural molecules of the living things like the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins contain oxygen. Similarly, major inorganic compounds like bones and teeth also contain oxygen. The sources of the elemental oxygen on Earth include algae, cyanobacteria as well as from the plants which produce the oxygen during the process of photosynthesis. Almost all of the living organisms utilized the oxygen for cellular respiration, and would thus wither or die off in the absence of oxygen. The exceptional organisms which do not require oxygen for survival are the anaerobic organisms, and oxygen is thus highly toxic to their survival. Organisms which do not require oxygen for metabolic functions were the earliest dominants on life on earth since the oxygen levels ha not accumulated by then.

Physical Properties of Oxygen

The electronic configuration of oxygen is 1S2 2S2 2P4 with an Ionic radius of 140 ad Ionization Energy of 1314 kJ/mol. Oxygen is much higher soluble in water than nitrogen, in that there is approximately one molecule of O2 in water. For two nitrogen molecules which are compared to the atmospheric ratio of 1:4. Temperature determines the degree of the solubility of oxygen in the water. The higher the temperature of water, the lower the solubility of oxygen in the water. For instance, at 00C, 14.6 mg/L of oxygen will dissolve in water, and at 200C 7.6 mg/L of oxygen will dissolve in water. Additionally, the freshness of water determines greatly the amount of oxygen that will be dissolved. The seawater contains about 4.95 mL of oxygen in a liter, while one liter of fresh water contains .04mL of oxygen. The freezing point of oxygen starts at 54.36K and below while the condensation starts at 90.20K. The color of both solid and liquid O2 are clear, and light sky-blue substances and the color is caused by the absorption in the red.

The Chemical Properties of Oxygen

Dioxygen, which is an odorless, tasteless and colorless diatomic gas, is formed at standard pressure and temperature when two atoms of the oxygen element bind together. In the periodic table, oxygen falls in the chalcogen group. Oxygen a nonmetallic element is a highly reactive element, usually forming oxides with virtually all other elements in the periodic table. Second to fluorine, oxygen has the maximum electronegativity among all the reactive elements as well as having a higher capability of oxidizing other elements. Oxygen forms the third most abundant element in the periodic table after helium and hydrogen. Additionally, the element is the most abundant of the crust of the earth whereby almost half of the crust being oxygen. Typically, free oxygen is chemically reactive and would not be it for consumption by the abiotic organisms. The photosynthetic action of the biotic components of earth turns the pure oxygen to elemental oxygen for use by aerobic organisms.

Calcium Element

For centuries, calcium, which was also known as lime was a useful material which was obtained by heating limestone. Calcium was used to make mortar and plaster. Due to its inability to be reduced further, Antoine Lavoisier named calcium as earth, but still, he suspected that calcium would be an oxide of another unknown element. Several scientists including Humphrey Davy tried severally to reduce lime to as to be able to obtain a new element but all their efforts bore no fruits. Most of the experiments conducted to produce pure calcium ended up giving forth an amalgam of the substance used for the experiment. However, Davy came so close to the objective of getting pure calcium after he mixed mercury oxide with lime and distilled the mixture further eliminating mercury and being left with calcium. After this experiment, the assumptions that the scientists had that calcium was an oxide of another element were cleared as all the experiments did not reduce the element.

Physical Properties of Calcium

Calcium is a silvery-white metallic in color when it is shined but in normal cases, it is dull in color. The element occurs in the solid state under natural conditions. The texture of calcium is relatively soft metal which can easily be scratched. The element is ductile in that it can be beaten to extremely thin sheets, rolled, and pressed as well as being cut with ease. The ductility of calcium allows for its malleability where it can be bent or shaped into different structures and styles. The constituent compounds of calcium are usually white in color, an example being the calcium carbonate making up the limestone which is used in the manufacture of cement. The melting point of calcium is at 8390C while its boiling point is very high at 14840C. The density of calcium is at 1.54g/cm3, and additionally it is a good conductor of electricity.

Chemical Properties of Calcium

The chemical formula of calcium is Ca. on the periodic table; calcium is element atom 20, which implies that every atom of calcium has 20 protons. In open air, calcium is highly flammable and reacts rapidly with air in the atmosphere to form a gray oxide coating which burns with a red flame when lit. Calcium is an oxidizing agent which is used as a deoxidizer in the steel. The compounds of calcium include marble, gypsum as well as limestone. When calcium is put in cold water, it reacts rapidly at first, but eventually, the reaction slows down due to the formation of a calcium hydroxide film. When put in acids, calcium becomes highly reaction and eventually dissolves to completion as per the acidity of the solvent. There are six isotopes of calcium which are stable, and they are inclusive of 40C, 42Ca, 43Ca, 44Ca, 46Ca and lastly 48Ca.

Uses of Calcium

Calcium is an essential element for plant and animal nutrition. The building of the skeletal muscles, moderation of the reactions of muscles and signaling of the cells cannot be completed in the absence of calcium. Calcium is the most abundant metal type found in the bodies of human beings, and it is mostly concentrated in the bones and teeth. For the calcium to be absorbed into the bodies of human beings, there should be vitamin D which catalysis the process of absorption. Despite the fact that calcium is essential in our bodies, excessive ingestion of calcium and its compounds can be toxic and cause diseases like milk-alkali syndrome which is associated with hypercalcemia. In other uses, calcium is used for the manufacture of cement, cleaning alloys as well as making cheese.