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Hydrogen is an ...????


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Isn't Hydrogen amazing. It's just an electron orbiting a proton.

 

Yet this simple combination has "chemical" and "physical" properties. The physical properties enable it to ignite the Sun, and create the Earth.

 

And then on Earth, chemical properties enable it to combine with Oxygen, to make water. which provides the basis for life.

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Hydrogen is usually not considered a metal (no alkaline oxide, insulator...) but it can become a conductive metal under huge pressure.

 

The periodic table is not periodic, so extrapolating words and properties to its first line works badly.

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  • 1 month later...

Hydrogen is an example of why the rules of chemistry are complicated.

It has some properties in common with the halogens and some properties in common with the alkali metals.

However,

It doesn't give an alkali on reaction with water, so it isn't an alkali metal.

It doesn't form a hydride which acts as a strong acid in water- so it isn't a halogen

It is neither.

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The point, I feel, is that the periodic classification is not the sole factor to predict properties. Lithium is alkali metal but differs from rest because of small size and high polarising power. Calling metal and Non metal just helps in predicting very simple properties.

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  • 10 months later...

The periodic table was Mendeleev's great inspiration long before atomic theory was ever dreamed about. It has stood the test of time and enabled many predictions. Hydrogen is in its rightful place but we all k now it is an exceptional element. It acts like a metal forming positive ions the basis of all acids.

I was taught the rare gases have no compounds now they have a chemistry, so care is needed before we jump to the wrong conclusions

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