Atomic number 1
Hydrogen
Nonmetal
In the real world


Quick facts
- Atomic mass
- 1.008
- Group
- 1
- Period
- 1
- State (STP)
- gas
- Electronegativity
- 2.20
- Common ox. states
- -1, +1
Properties
1s¹
- Ionization energy
- 1312.0 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 72.8 kJ/mol
- Melting point
- 13.99 K (-259.2 °C)
- Boiling point
- 20.27 K (-252.9 °C)
How dangerous is it?
The lightest element and a clean fuel, but it burns across a wide range of mixtures with air and lights from the smallest spark.
- FlammableImmediate
It catches fire easily and burns with an almost invisible flame.
Kept in sealed cylinders away from sparks, with good ventilation so it cannot collect.
How it bonds
Hydrogen has one electron and forms one bond. Almost always covalent - sharing one pair to fill its 1s shell - but with very electronegative partners (F, Cl, O, N) the shared pair drifts so far that the H is effectively H⁺. With reactive metals (Na, Ca) the trade flips and hydrogen pulls the electron in to become H⁻.
Element Lore
Stories, history, and chemistry behind Hydrogen.
Read Hydrogen's lore →Where you meet it
Compounds featuring this element
- AmmoniaNH₃
- FormaldehydeCH₂O
- Hydrogen chlorideHCl
- Hydrogen cyanideHCN
- Hydrogen fluorideHF
- Hydrogen peroxideH₂O₂
- MethaneCH₄
- WaterH₂O

