Both hydrogen and oxygen are elements that have a wide variety of uses. These range from our day-to-day living, as with oxygen, to weather balloons, as with hydrogen, to the high-tech, high-energy business of blasting rockets into space, which uses both elements. In general, both elements have a large amount of potential energy, which can be harnessed in a number of different ways.
Everyday Use
The biggest use of oxygen is in breathing. Humans require oxygen to survive, and take some in from the air around them with every breath they take.
Hydrogen is equally present in our day-to-day lives. When it is combined with oxygen, water is created. So, we breathe oxygen and drink a combination of both hydrogen and oxygen, which means both of these are essential to our survival as a species.
Lift
Both hydrogen and oxygen can provide lift for balloons. Hydrogen is substantially lighter than oxygen, which means that putting it in a balloon makes the balloon rise as the hydrogen rises. Indeed, it was used for dirigibles in the 1930s, but its extreme flammability made it dangerous, a danger that culminated in the 1937 Hindenburg disaster. As of 2010, hydrogen was only used in weather balloons, which require a great deal of lift but do not pose as great of a threat to people.
Oxygen can also provide lift. Heated oxygen is lighter than unheated oxygen, which means if you heat the oxygen inside a balloon the balloon will rise, although it requires constant reheating to stay afloat.
Ignition
Both hydrogen and oxygen can provide a large amount of energy when they are ignited. Oxygen is one of the key components of fire, so adding more oxygen increases the size and intensity of flames. This makes pure oxygen extremely flammable.
Hydrogen, on the other hand, is not a key ingredient for fire but does act as excellent fuel for flames. This is why a combination of hydrogen and oxygen are used in rockets. The extreme flammability is harnessed and used to put rockets into space.
Energy
Finally, hydrogen has a very specific use--atomic energy. If a hydrogen molecule is superheated, it explodes with the same level of intensity as the center of the sun. As of 2010, this has only been harnessed for weaponry, with the infamous hydrogen bomb.
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