quattro digest, Vol 1 #3119 - 9 msgs

[Larry C Leung]

Not true, they don't share the same valence shells, and hence react
differently (hence Hydrogen is reactive, Helium, not). Also He has about
twice the mass of H2, and is hence, easier to contain. Finally, He is the
result of the fusion of H2, specifically Deuterium (Hydrogen with a
Neutron) and Tritium (Hydrogen with 2 Neutrons), which give up energy
following E = mc2 in the fusion process, where m is the mass defect
between the exact atomic mass of the source elements, vs the mass of the
resulting Helium atom. THIS is why the Germans were seeking and
distilling heavy water during WW2, they were actually attempting to build
a fusion bomb. The US was able to build a successful (pair of) fission
bomb prior to the Germans attempt at Fusion, and most of us know the rest
of the story (and no, the US didn't bomb Germany with a fission bomb!). 

LL - NY


>
>Hydrogen molecule - helium atom.
>
>Liquid helium also has an interesting habit of not staying where you 
>put it and wandering
>about the place.
>
>--
>  Phil Payne
>  http://www.isham-research.com/quattro
>  +44 7785 302 803
>  +49 173 6242039