It almost contributes about 75 % of the baryonic mass. In the universe, it is present in abundant nature. The hydrogen atom is the lightest element and has a 1.008 g atomic weight. It was named Hydrogen by Antoine Lavoisier in 1783. He observed that hydrogen gas exists as a discrete element and it forms water on burning. The hydrogen atom has been discovered as hydrogen gas by Henry Cavendish in 1766.
The hydrogen gas is tasteless, odorless, and colorless.
Mass of a hydrogen atom free#
The hydrogen atom exists as hydrogen gas (H2) at standard temperature and pressure as the hydrogen atom is very reactive and unstable in its free state. Therefore, the hydrogen atom is unstable and exists in diatomic form as dihydrogen gas (H2). Hence, the Hydrogen atom does not have a neutron for the stabilization of the nucleus. This strong neutron-proton interaction overcomes the proton-proton electrostatic repulsion.īut, the hydrogen atom has only one proton, which cannot show repulsion owing to the absence of other protons. The neutrons in an atom stabilize its nucleus by interacting strongly with its proton. It has only one electron and one proton because neutron cannot accommodate itself in the small-sized nucleus of the Hydrogen atom. So, Does Hydrogen have neutron? No, the hydrogen atom (Protium) does not contain neutron because of hydrogen’s small atomic size.
Many of you have doubts in your mind regarding if hydrogen atom contains neutrons or not. Therefore, the hydrogen atom shows +1 and -1 oxidation states depending upon the electronegativity of the combining atom. The properties of the hydrogen atom are similar to both alkali metals and halogens. The properties of hydrogen are unique and hence, its position was always in debate. The hydrogen atom is the first member of the modern periodic table with 1 atomic number and 1 mass number.