extra credit riddle help please

[Belties R Us]

I am nothing without it, one "n-less" word;
I am he without breath, placed after the third.
In a fortnight I'm there, where before I've been;
If you see my reflection, you'll know what I mean.

What am I?

Its for chemistry class extra credit. Please help.

 

[fed_champions]

I think the answer is death.

Death is inevitable
Life requires breath
A fortnight, where before ive been refers to a ghost and so  does the last phrase

 

[farmboy]

what are you guys studying right now? that could give me a clue.

 

[Belties R Us]

we are studying acids and bases

 

[jason]

????

However I was curious about a fortnight which is

1 fortnight = 14 days

 

[farmboy]

Water
Without Hydrogen's orbital shell being filled by that electron it's nothing.
Without it's electron it would theoretically be placed in the fifth group, which is after the third if you follow it back from alternate periodic tables. Otherwise it would be in the neutral charge group. Also in front of the third.

For the last two lines you have to know a bit about alternate forms of the periodic table. Mainly that Hydrogen is usually placed in the first column, but can also be placed in the seventh. Counting from 1-7 then going back again (reflecting) would yield 14. A fortnight is 14.

Don't know how I manage to get by with C's in chem though ???

 

[AAOK]

Yep - dihydrogen monoxide (aka dihydrogen oxide) – H2O – Water

 

[Belties R Us]

thanks guys. I thought so but i didnt think of it the way you did. I was thinking the water cycle took about 14 days lol