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Chemistry Chat
Technical Glossary | - Focusing on the Elements - Heavy Hydrogen
Deuterium and Tritium
Deuterium is one of isotope of hydrogen and has a nucleus consisting of one proton and one neutron, and one electron out of the nucleus. Tritium is one of isotope of hydrogen and has a nucleus consisting of one proton and two neutrons, and one electron out of the nucleus.
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is a phenomenon in which two light nuclei fuse with each other to form a single heavier nucleus. As a typical example, one deuterium and one tritium transform into one helium and one neutron by nuclear fusion.
One actual example of nuclear fusion in our life is the sun. At the center of the sun, four hydrogen atoms fuse to form a helium atom. Enormous energy is generated in the nuclear fusion. How much energy would be produced by nuclear fusion?
The atomic weights of hydrogen and helium are 1.008 and 4.003 respectively. The total atomic weight of four atoms of hydrogen is calculated at 4.032. In fact, the actual atomic weight of helium is 4.003. It is suggested that the atomic weight of helium becomes lighter by 0.029 amu. As a matter of fact, the decreased amount of weight is transformed into energy. To calculate the energy we use Einstein’s equation (i.e. E = mc2). In the case of 1 kg of hydrogen atom, 7.2 g of the weight will be decreased by nuclear fusion. So the amount of energy can be calculated by the following (shown below in an equation):
We find an enormous amount of energy is released by nuclear fusion. It seems like great energy, but there are many problems to be solved for the technical and safety aspects. To be available to use that energy for our benefit, it will take more time.