• Question: What is the most comman gas[s] in space and why?

    Asked by hillierl to Alastair, Emma, Hywel, Keith, Vicki on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Keith Brain

      Keith Brain answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hmm … not sure … I think its hydrogen, the simplest of the elements (just one proton) and the starting material for lots of stars. The gas condenses to form stars; the nuclear fusion reactions convert hydrogen to heavier atoms; so, despite the fact that our sun has been burning for a while it still has quite a lot of hydrogen, as you can see at:

      http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/tables/suncomp.html

    • Photo: Alastair Sloan

      Alastair Sloan answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      I would think it would have to be Hydrogen. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the whole universe and something like 90% of all the atoms in the universe are hydrogen atoms. That sounds pretty common to me!

    • Photo: Vicki Stevenson

      Vicki Stevenson answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hi
      hydrogen followed by helium

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