Why is Helium so difficult to synthesize?
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Helium is 2 protons. Hydrogen is 1 proton, so creating helium requires combining two hydrogens.
That is nuclear fusion. The entire world is trying to achieve that but it is very difficult. Naturally it happens in stars because they are 300,000 times more massive than our planet.
Helium is 2 protons. Hydrogen is 1 proton, so creating helium requires combining two hydrogens.
That is nuclear fusion. The entire world is trying to achieve that but it is very difficult. Naturally it happens in stars because they are 300,000 times more massive than our planet.
Well consider that Helium is forged inside of stars, as Hydrogen is fused together via a gigantic nuclear fusion reaction. Fusing and separating elements, specifically stable elements, takes a ton of energy
Well consider that Helium is forged inside of stars, as Hydrogen is fused together via a gigantic nuclear fusion reaction. Fusing and separating elements, specifically stable elements, takes a ton of energy
Two ways to make an element.
**Chemical** reaction: Turning a molecule that includes your element into a different molecule that includes your element. Electrolysis turns water (H20) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (02). Helium doesn’t naturally bond (noble gas) with anything and is already in it’s pure base form. So you can’t harvest it from chemical reactions.
**Nuclear** reaction: Adding or removing protons to an atom’s nucleus to change it from one element to another. Iron (26 protons) is the mid point for nuclear reactions. It’s the most stable and given enough time and energy, everything turns into iron. The sun being a good example.
Elements with more protons, like gold (79) or silver (47) or lead (82), all release energy when **losing** protons and going back requires proportionally more energy the farther you go from iron. This isn’t done in a single step, but the concept is the same. It works the same way but in reverse the further away you get with smaller elements too. Aluminum (13) or Titanium (22) both release energy when **gaining** protons up to iron and require proportionally more energy to lose protons and get smaller.
Helium is (2). Only thing smaller than helium is hydrogen (1). So as far as nuclear reactions go, it is the most difficult element (requires the most energy) to synthesis. Other than hydrogen, which as discussed above, is abundant and can be harvested readily with a chemical reactions.
That’s why Helium is rare. We can’t harvest it chemically because it doesn’t bond with things in nature. And it’s the farthest from Iron for nuclear reactions.
**TL;DR** – Helium is the smallest noble gas. Making it both impossible to harvest chemically and the most difficult to manufacture with nuclear reactions.
Well consider that Helium is forged inside of stars, as Hydrogen is fused together via a gigantic nuclear fusion reaction. Fusing and separating elements, specifically stable elements, takes a ton of energy
So when you let go of a helium balloon what happens? It flies into the sky.
That’s what happens to any helium on the Earth’s surface. It rises all the way to space and gets blown away.
You cannot “synthesize” helium other than with radioactive decay. It doesn’t really react with anything on the Earth’s surface.
So the problem with helium is it’s either trapped underground (generally mixed with natural gas) or it’s gone.
Fun fact though. There’s plenty of helium on the surface of the moon. Because there’s no atmosphere on the moon. Helium doesnt float away. It drops like a brick.
Helium is 2 protons. Hydrogen is 1 proton, so creating helium requires combining two hydrogens.
That is nuclear fusion. The entire world is trying to achieve that but it is very difficult. Naturally it happens in stars because they are 300,000 times more massive than our planet.
So when you let go of a helium balloon what happens? It flies into the sky.
That’s what happens to any helium on the Earth’s surface. It rises all the way to space and gets blown away.
You cannot “synthesize” helium other than with radioactive decay. It doesn’t really react with anything on the Earth’s surface.
So the problem with helium is it’s either trapped underground (generally mixed with natural gas) or it’s gone.
Fun fact though. There’s plenty of helium on the surface of the moon. Because there’s no atmosphere on the moon. Helium doesnt float away. It drops like a brick.
I *think* the biggest consumers of helium are MRI and other super-conductor using facilities, they will sh*t when we run low.
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