Sewage To Be Turned Into H

Anonymous Howard writes "The New Scientist website reports in this article that British scientists are working on a more efficient way to convert sewage and other wet waste into hydrogen fuel. It sounds fairly promising."

Comments

Re:Isn't Hydrogen Abundant

[Drakin]

Hydrogen is abundant. However, it's also very reactive and forms compounts rather easily. So we have lots of hydrogen, just not in the form of H2 which is the form that is wanted for fuel.

Because hydrogen is diatomic

[yerricde]

What does that say about our geek-ness, or lack of it, when we see "H" and think heroin instead of hydrogen?

It means we know the difference between H, H+, and H2. Hydrogen, like oxygen, nitrogen, and the halogens, is diatomic, meaning that it exists in nature in pairs (Cl2 I2 F2 Br2 O2 H2 N2). In nature, it also exists as positive ions (labeled H+); Bronsted acids give off these. (Water is amphiprotic; that is, it's a weak acid and base simultaneously.)

When I see "H2", I think "hydrogen." When I see "H+", I think "hydrogen ion" and then "there's an acid somewhere around here". Plain "H" by itself is heroin, just like "X" without the "Window System".