Although the earth was formed from the same interstellar material as the sun, there is little elemental hydrogen \(\left(\mathrm{H}_{2}\right)\) in the earth's atmosphere. Explain.

Although the Earth and the Sun were formed from the same interstellar material, which was primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, there is little elemental hydrogen in the Earth's atmosphere due to two primary factors: differentiation and escape velocity. Differentiation is a geological process that causes lighter elements like hydrogen to move towards the surface, while heavier elements sink towards the core. The escape velocity of a gas, influenced by a planet's weaker gravity, allows light gases like hydrogen to eventually escape into space from the Earth's atmosphere. Thus, geological and gravitational processes explain why the Earth's atmospheric composition is different from the Sun or the original interstellar material.