"The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity." - Harlan Ellison. After hydrogen and helium, the periodic table is full of surprises. Among the most amazing facts there is also the fact that every material that we have ever touched, seen, interacted with, consists of the same two things: atomic nuclei positively charged and negatively charged electrons. The way these atoms interact with each other - how they push, bind, attract and repel, creating new stable molecules, ions, electronic energy states - in fact, determines the picturesqueness of the world around us.

Even if it is the quantum and electromagnetic properties of these atoms and their constituents that allow our Universe, it is important to understand that it did not begin with all these elements at all. On the contrary, she started almost without them.

You see, it takes a lot of atoms to achieve the variety of bond structures and build the complex molecules that underlie everything we know. Not in quantitative terms, but in diverse terms, that is, that there be atoms with a different number of protons in their atomic nuclei: this is what makes the elements different.

Our bodies need elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. Our Earth's crust needs elements such as silicon and a host of other heavy elements, while the Earth's core - in order to produce heat - needs elements from probably the entire periodic table that are found in nature: thorium, radium, uranium, and even plutonium.

But back to early stages The Universe - before the appearance of man, life, our solar system, to the very first solid planets and even the first stars - when all we had was a hot, ionized sea of ​​protons, neutrons and electrons. There were no elements, no atoms, and no atomic nuclei: the universe was too hot for all that. It wasn't until the universe expanded and cooled that there was at least some stability.

Some time has passed. The first nuclei merged together and did not separate again, producing hydrogen and its isotopes, helium and its isotopes, and tiny, barely distinguishable volumes of lithium and beryllium, the latter subsequently radioactively decaying into lithium. This is how the Universe began: in terms of the number of nuclei - 92% hydrogen, 8% helium and approximately 0.00000001% lithium. By weight - 75-76% hydrogen, 24-25% helium and 0.00000007% lithium. In the beginning there were two words: hydrogen and helium, that's all, one might say.

Hundreds of thousands of years later, the universe had cooled enough for neutral atoms to form, and tens of millions of years later, gravitational collapse allowed the first stars to form. At the same time, the phenomenon of nuclear fusion not only filled the Universe with light, but also allowed the formation of heavy elements.

By the time the first star was born, somewhere between 50 and 100 million years after the Big Bang, copious amounts of hydrogen had begun to fuse into helium. But more importantly, the most massive stars (8 times as massive as our Sun) burned their fuel very quickly, burning up in just a couple of years. As soon as the cores of such stars ran out of hydrogen, the helium core contracted and began to merge the three nuclei of an atom into carbon. It only took a trillion of these heavy stars in the early universe (which formed many more stars in the first few hundred million years) for lithium to be defeated.

And here you are probably thinking that carbon has become the number three element these days? This can be thought of as stars synthesize elements in layers, like an onion. Helium is synthesized into carbon, carbon into oxygen (later and at higher temperatures), oxygen into silicon and sulfur, and silicon into iron. At the end of the chain, the iron can't fuse into anything else, so the core explodes and the star goes supernova.

These supernovae, the stages that led to them, and the consequences enriched the Universe with the contents of the outer layers of the star, hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen, silicon and all the heavy elements that were formed during other processes:

• slow neutron capture (s-process), sequentially lining up elements;
• fusion of helium nuclei with heavy elements (with the formation of neon, magnesium, argon, calcium, and so on);
• fast neutron capture (r-process) with the formation of elements up to uranium and beyond.

But we had more than one generation of stars: we had many of them, and the generation that exists today is built primarily not on virgin hydrogen and helium, but also on the remnants of previous generations. This is important, because without it we would never have solid planets, only gas giants made of hydrogen and helium, exclusively.

Over billions of years, the process of star formation and death has been repeated, with more and more enriched elements. Instead of just fusing hydrogen into helium, massive stars fuse hydrogen into C-N-O cycle, equalizing the volumes of carbon and oxygen (and slightly less nitrogen) over time.

Also, when stars go through helium fusion to form carbon, it's quite easy to grab an extra helium atom to form oxygen (and even add another helium to oxygen to form neon), and even our Sun will do this during its red giant phase.

But there is one killer step in the stellar forges that takes carbon out of the cosmic equation: when a star becomes massive enough to initiate a carbon fusion - such is the need for a Type II supernova to form - the process that converts gas into oxygen goes to a halt, creating much more oxygen than carbon by the time the star is ready to explode.

When we look at supernova remnants and planetary nebulae - the remnants of very massive stars and sun-like stars, respectively - we find that oxygen outnumbers carbon in mass and abundance in each case. We also found that none of the other elements are heavier or come close.

So, hydrogen #1, helium #2 - there are a lot of these elements in the Universe. But of the remaining elements, oxygen holds a confident #3, followed by carbon #4, neon #5, nitrogen #6, magnesium #7, silicon #8, iron #9 and Wednesday completes the top ten.

What does the future hold for us?

Over a sufficiently long period of time, thousands (or millions) times the current age of the universe, stars will continue to form, either spewing fuel into intergalactic space or burning it as much as possible. In the process, helium may finally overtake hydrogen in abundance, or hydrogen will remain in first place if it is sufficiently isolated from fusion reactions. Over a long distance, matter that is not ejected from our galaxy can merge again and again, so that carbon and oxygen will bypass even helium. Perhaps elements #3 and #4 will shift the first two.

The universe is changing. Oxygen is the third most abundant element in modern universe, and in the very, very distant future, perhaps rise above hydrogen. Every time you breathe in the air and feel the satisfaction of this process, remember: the stars are the only reason for the existence of oxygen.

Of course, in our understanding, this is something of a single whole. But having its own structure and composition. This includes all celestial bodies and objects, matter, energy, gas, dust and more. All this was formed and exists, regardless of whether we see it or feel it.

Scientists have long considered such questions: What formed such a universe? And what elements fill it?

Today we will talk about which element is the most common in the universe.

It turns out that this chemical element is the lightest in the world. In addition, its monatomic form makes up approximately 87% of the total composition of the universe. In addition, it is found in most molecular compounds. Even in water, or, for example, he is part of organic matter. In addition, hydrogen is a particularly important constituent of acid-base reactions.
In addition, the element is soluble in most metals. Interestingly, hydrogen is odorless, colorless, and tasteless.

In the process of studying, scientists called hydrogen a combustible gas.
As soon as it was not defined. At one time, he bore the name of giving birth to water, and then water-creating substance.
Only in 1824 it was given the name hydrogen.

Hydrogen makes up 88.6% of all atoms. The rest is mostly helium. And only a small part is other elements.
Consequently, stars and other gases contain mostly hydrogen.
By the way, again, it is also present in stellar temperatures. However, in the form of plasma. And in outer space it is represented in the form of molecules, atoms and ions. Interestingly, hydrogen is able to form molecular clouds.

Characterization of hydrogen

Hydrogen is a unique element because it does not have a neutron. It contains only one proton and an electron.
As stated, it is the lightest gas. It is important that the smaller the mass of molecules, the higher their speed. Even the temperature doesn't affect it.
The thermal conductivity of hydrogen is one of the highest among all gases.
Among other things, it is highly soluble in metals, which affects its ability to diffuse through them. Sometimes the process leads to destruction. For example, the interaction of hydrogen and carbon. In this case, decarbonization occurs.

The advent of hydrogen

Arose in the universe after big bang. Like all chemical elements. According to theory, in the first microseconds after the explosion, the temperature of the universe was above 100 billion degrees. What formed the bond of three quarks. In turn, this interaction created a proton. Thus, the nucleus of the hydrogen atom arose. During the expansion, the temperature dropped and quarks formed protons and neutrons. So, in fact, hydrogen appeared.

In the interval from 1 to 100 seconds after the formation of the universe, part of the protons and neutrons combined. Thus forming another element, helium.
In the future, the expansion of space and, as a result, the decrease in temperature suspended the connecting reactions. Importantly, they re-launched inside the stars. This is how atoms of other chemical elements were formed.
As a result, it turns out that hydrogen and helium are the main engines for the formation of other elements.

Helium is generally the second most abundant element in the universe. Its share is 11.3% of the total outer space.

helium properties

It, like hydrogen, is odorless, colorless and tasteless. In addition, it is the second lightest gas. But its boiling point is the lowest known.

Helium is an inert, non-toxic and monatomic gas. Its thermal conductivity is high. According to this characteristic, it again ranks second after hydrogen.
Helium production is carried out by separation at low temperature.
Interestingly, helium was previously considered a metal. But in the process of studying, it was determined that it was a gas. Moreover, the main part of the universe.

All elements on Earth, with the exception of hydrogen and helium, were born billions of years ago by the alchemy of stars, some of which are now inconspicuous white dwarfs somewhere on the other side of the Milky Way. The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies are created in the core of shrinking stars.

We are made from star matter.
Carl Sagan

Applying elements

Mankind has learned how to extract and use chemical elements for its own benefit. So hydrogen and helium are used in many fields of activity. For example, in:

• Food Industry;
• metallurgy;
• chemical industry;
• oil refining;
• electronics manufacturing;
• cosmetic industry;
• geology;
• even in military sphere and etc.

As you can see, these elements play an important role in the life of the universe. Obviously, our very existence directly depends on them. We know that every minute there is growth and movement. And despite the fact that they are individually small, everything around is based on these elements.
Truly, hydrogen and helium, as well as other chemical elements, are unique and amazing. Perhaps it is impossible to argue with this.

What is the most abundant substance in the universe? Let's approach this question logically. It seems to be known, it is hydrogen. Hydrogen H makes up 74% of the mass of matter in the universe.

Let's not climb into the wilds of the unknown here, let's not count Dark Matter and Dark Energy, let's talk only about ordinary matter, about the usual chemical elements located in (at the moment) 118 cells of the periodic table.

Hydrogen as it is

Atomic hydrogen H 1 is what all stars in galaxies consist of, it is the bulk of our familiar matter, which scientists call baryonic. baryonic matter consists of ordinary protons, neutrons and electrons and is synonymous with the word substance.

But monatomic hydrogen is not exactly a chemical substance in our native, earthly understanding. This is a chemical element. And by substance, we usually mean something chemical compound, i.e. combination of chemical elements. It is clear that the simplest chemical substance is the combination of hydrogen with hydrogen, i.e. ordinary hydrogen gas H 2 , which we know, love and with which we fill zeppelin airships, from which they then explode beautifully.

Two-volume hydrogen H 2 fills most of the gas clouds and nebulae of space. When, under the influence of their own gravity, they gather into stars, the rising temperature breaks chemical bond, turning it into atomic hydrogen H 1, and the ever-increasing temperature detaches an electron e- from a hydrogen atom, turning into a hydrogen ion or just a proton p+ . In stars, all matter is in the form of such ions, which form the fourth state of matter - plasma.

Again, the chemical substance hydrogen is not a very interesting thing, it is too simple, let's look for something more complex. Compounds made up of different chemical elements.

The next most abundant chemical element in the universe is helium. He, its in the universe 24% of the total mass. In theory, the most common complex chemical there must be a combination of hydrogen and helium, only the trouble is, helium - inert gas. Under ordinary and even not very ordinary conditions, helium will not combine with other substances and with itself. By cunning tricks, he can be forced to enter into chemical reactions, but such compounds are rare and usually do not last long.

So you need to look for hydrogen compounds with the next most common chemical elements.
Only 2% of the mass of the Universe remains on their share, when 98% are the mentioned hydrogen and helium.

The third most common is not lithium Li, as it might seem, looking at the periodic table. The next most abundant element in the universe is oxygen. O, which we all know, love and breathe in the form of a colorless and odorless diatomic gas O 2 . The amount of oxygen in space far outstrips all other elements from those 2% that remained after the deduction of hydrogen and helium, in fact, half of the remainder, i.e. approximately 1%.

This means that the most common substance in the Universe turns out to be (we deduced this postulate logically, but this is also confirmed by experimental observations) the most ordinary water H2O.

There is more water (mostly frozen in the form of ice) in the universe than anything else. Minus hydrogen and helium, of course.

Everything, literally everything, is made of water. Our solar system is also made up of water. Well, in the sense of the Sun, of course, it consists mainly of hydrogen and helium, and gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn are also assembled from them. But the rest of the matter of the Solar System is concentrated not in stone-like planets with a metal core like Earth or Mars, and not in the stone belt of asteroids. The main mass of the Solar System in the icy debris left from its formation, comets, most of the asteroids of the second belt (Kuiper belt) and the Oort cloud, which is even further away, are made of ice.

For example, the famous former planet Pluto (now dwarf planet Pluto) is 4/5 parts ice.

It is clear that if the water is far from the Sun or any star, it freezes and turns into ice. And if too close, it evaporates, becomes water vapor, which is carried away by the solar wind (a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun) to remote regions star system, where it freezes and again turns into ice.

But around any star (I repeat, around any star!) There is a zone where this water (which, again, I repeat, is the most common substance in the Universe) is in the liquid phase of water itself.

Habitable zone around a star, surrounded by zones where it is too hot and too cold

Liquid water in the universe to hell. Around any of the 100 billion stars in our galaxy Milky Way there are areas called Habitable Zone, in which liquid water exists, if there are planets there, and they should be there, if not for every star, then for every third, or even for every tenth.

I'll say more. Ice can melt not only from the light of a star. In our solar system, there are many satellite moons orbiting gas giants, where it is too cold from lack of sunlight, but on which powerful tidal forces act respective planets. Liquid water has been proven to exist on Saturn's moon Enceladus, it is assumed to exist on Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede, and probably many other places.

Water geysers on Enceladus captured by the Cassini spacecraft

Even on Mars, scientists suggest that there may be liquid water in underground lakes and caverns.

Do you think I will now start talking about the fact that since water is the most common substance in the universe, then hello other life forms, hello aliens? No, just the opposite. I find it funny when I hear the claims of some overzealous astrophysicists - "search for water, you will find life." Or - "there is water on Enceladus / Europa / Ganymede, which means that there must certainly be life there." Or - in the Gliese 581 system, an exoplanet located in the habitable zone was discovered. There is water there, we urgently equip an expedition in search of life!"

There is a lot of water in the universe. But with life, according to modern scientific data, it’s somehow not very good.

It was a sensation - it turns out that the most important substance on Earth consists of two equally important chemical elements. AiF decided to look into the periodic table and remember what elements and compounds make the Universe exist, as well as life on Earth and human civilization.

HYDROGEN (H)

Where does it meet: the most common element in the universe, its main "building material". It is made up of stars, including the sun. Thanks to thermonuclear fusion involving hydrogen, the Sun will heat our planet for another 6.5 billion years.

What is useful: in industry - in the production of ammonia, soap and plastics. Hydrogen energy has great prospects: this gas does not pollute environment, because when burned, it gives only water vapor.

CARBON (C)

Where does it meet: Every organism is largely built from carbon. In the human body, this element occupies about 21%. So, our muscles consist of 2/3 of it. In the free state, it occurs in nature in the form of graphite and diamond.

What is useful: food, energy, etc. etc. The class of compounds based on carbon is huge - hydrocarbons, proteins, fats, etc. This element is indispensable in nanotechnology.

NITROGEN (N)

Where does it meet: Earth's atmosphere is 75% nitrogen. It is part of proteins, amino acids, hemoglobin, etc.

What is useful: necessary for the existence of animals and plants. In industry, it is used as a gas medium for packaging and storage, a refrigerant. With its help, various compounds are synthesized - ammonia, fertilizers, explosives, dyes.

OXYGEN (O)

Where does it meet: The most common element on Earth, it accounts for about 47% of the mass of the solid earth's crust. Marine and fresh water 89% oxygen, the atmosphere - 23%.

What is useful: Thanks to oxygen, living beings can breathe; without it, fire would not be possible. This gas is widely used in medicine, metallurgy, food industry, energy.

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

Where does it meet: In the atmosphere, in sea water.

What is useful: Thanks to this compound, plants can breathe. The process of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air is called photosynthesis. It is the main source of biological energy. It is worth recalling that the energy that we receive from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) has been accumulated in the bowels of the earth for millions of years precisely due to photosynthesis.

IRON (Fe)

Where does it meet: one of the most common in solar system elements. It consists of the cores of the terrestrial planets.

What is useful: metal used by man since ancient times. Whole historical era called the Iron Age. Now up to 95% of the world production of metals falls on iron, it is the main component of steels and cast irons.

SILVER (AG)

Where does it meet: One of the scarce items. Previously met in nature in a native form.

What is useful: Since the middle of the 13th century, it has become a traditional material for making dishes. It has unique properties, therefore it is used in various industries - in jewelry, photography, electrical engineering and electronics. The disinfecting properties of silver are also known.

GOLD (Au)

Where does it meet: previously found in nature in a native form. Produced at the mines.

What is useful: the most important element of the world financial system, because its reserves are small. It has long been used as money. All bank gold reserves are currently valued

at 32 thousand tons - if you fuse them together, you get a cube with a side of only 12 m. It is used in medicine, microelectronics, and nuclear research.

SILICON (Si)

Where does it meet: In terms of prevalence in earth's crust this element takes the second place (27-30% of the total mass).

What is useful: Silicon is the main material for electronics. It is also used in metallurgy and in the production of glass and cement.

WATER (H2O)

Where does it meet: Our planet is 71% covered with water. The human body is 65% composed of this compound. Water is also in outer space, in the body of comets.

What is useful: It is of key importance in the creation and maintenance of life on Earth, because due to its molecular properties it is a universal solvent. Water has many unique properties that we do not think about. So, if it did not increase in volume when it freezes, life simply would not have arisen: reservoirs would freeze to the bottom every winter. And so, expanding, more light ice remains on the surface, maintaining a viable environment under it.

We all know that hydrogen fills our Universe by 75%. But do you know what other chemical elements are no less important for our existence and play a significant role in the life of people, animals, plants and our entire Earth? Elements from this rating form our entire Universe!

10. Sulfur (prevalence relative to silicon - 0.38)

This chemical element in the periodic table is listed under the symbol S and is characterized by atomic number 16. Sulfur is very common in nature.

9. Iron (prevalence relative to silicon - 0.6)

Denoted by the symbol Fe, atomic number- 26. Iron is very common in nature, it plays a particularly important role in the formation of the inner and outer shells of the Earth's core.

8. Magnesium (prevalence relative to silicon - 0.91)

In the periodic table, magnesium can be found under the symbol Mg, and its atomic number is 12. What is most surprising about this chemical element is that it is most often released when stars explode in the process of their transformation into supernovae.

7. Silicon (prevalence relative to silicon - 1)

Referred to as Si. The atomic number of silicon is 14. This gray-blue metalloid is very rare in the earth's crust in its pure form, but is quite common in other substances. For example, it can be found even in plants.

6. Carbon (abundance relative to silicon - 3.5)

Carbon in Mendeleev's table of chemical elements is listed under the symbol C, its atomic number is 6. The most famous allotropic modification of carbon is one of the most desirable precious stones in the world - diamonds. Carbon is also actively used in other industrial purposes for a more everyday purpose.

5. Nitrogen (abundance relative to silicon - 6.6)

Symbol N, atomic number 7. First discovered by Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford, nitrogen is most commonly found in the form nitric acid and nitrates.

4. Neon (abundance relative to silicon - 8.6)

It is designated by the symbol Ne, the atomic number is 10. It is no secret that this particular chemical element is associated with a beautiful glow.

3. Oxygen (abundance relative to silicon - 22)

A chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8, oxygen is indispensable for our existence! But this does not mean that it is present only on Earth and serves only for human lungs. The universe is full of surprises.

2. Helium (abundance relative to silicon - 3.100)

Helium symbol is He, atomic number is 2. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and its boiling point is the lowest among all chemical elements. And thanks to him, the balls soar up!

1. Hydrogen (abundance relative to silicon - 40.000)

True number one on our list, hydrogen is listed under the symbol H and has atomic number 1. It is the lightest chemical element on the periodic table and the most abundant element in the entire known universe.

The simplest and most common element

Hydrogen has only one proton and one electron (it is the only element without a neutron). It is the simplest element in the universe, which explains why it is also the most abundant, Nyman said. However, an isotope of hydrogen called deuterium contains one proton and one neutron, while another, known as tritium, has one proton and two neutrons.

In stars, hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium, the second most abundant element in the universe. Helium has two protons, two neutrons and two electrons. Together, helium and hydrogen make up 99.9 percent of all known matter in the universe.

Yet there is about 10 times more hydrogen in the universe than helium, says Nyman. “Oxygen, which is the third most abundant element, is about 1,000 times smaller than hydrogen,” she added.

Generally speaking, the higher the atomic number of an element, the less of it can be found in the universe.

Hydrogen in the Earth

The composition of the Earth, however, is different from that of the Universe. For example, oxygen is the most abundant element by weight in the earth's crust. It is followed by silicon, aluminum and iron. In the human body, the most abundant element by weight is oxygen, followed by carbon and hydrogen.

Role in the human body

Hydrogen has a number of key roles in the human body. Hydrogen bonds help DNA stay twisted. In addition, hydrogen helps maintain the correct pH in the stomach and other organs. If your stomach becomes too alkaline, hydrogen is released as it is associated with the regulation of this process. If the environment in the stomach is too acidic, hydrogen will bind to other elements.

Hydrogen in water

In addition, it is hydrogen that allows ice to float on the surface of water, since hydrogen bonds increase the distance between its frozen molecules, making them less dense.

Typically, matter is denser when it is in a solid state rather than liquid, Nyman said. Water is the only substance that becomes less dense as a solid.

What is the danger of hydrogen

However, hydrogen can also be dangerous. Its reaction with oxygen led to the crash of the Hindenburg airship, which killed 36 people in 1937. Besides, hydrogen bombs can be incredibly destructive, although they have never been used as a weapon. Nevertheless, their potential was demonstrated in the 1950s by countries such as the USA, USSR, Great Britain, France and China.

Hydrogen bombs, like atomic bombs, use a combination of nuclear fusion and fission reactions to cause destruction. When they explode, they create not only mechanical shock waves but also radiation.