Isotopes of Hydrogen
Isotopes of Hydrogen
Hydrogen has three isotopes: Protium, 11H,
deuterium, 21H or D and tritium, 31H
or T. These isotopes differ from one another in respect of the presence of
neutrons. Oridinary hydrogen, protium, has no neutrons, deuterium (also known
as heavy hydrogen) has one and tritium has two neutrons in the nucleus. In the
year 1934, an American scientist, Harold C, Urey, got Noble Prize for
separation hydrogen isotope of mass number 2 by physical methods.
The predominant form is protium. Terrestrial hydrogen
contains 0.0156% of deuterium mostly in the form of HD. The tritium
concentration is about one atom per 1018 atoms of protium. Of these
isotopes, only tritium is radioactive and emits low energy B- particles.
Since the lsotopes have the same electronic configuration,
they have almost the same chemical properties. The only difference is in their
rates of reactions, mainly due to their different enthalpy of bonds
dissociation. However, in physical properties these isotopes differ
considerably due to their large mass differences.
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