deuterium

/dju:'tiəriəm/

Thân thiện

A scientist carefully labels a vial of deuterium in the laboratory.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A stable isotope of hydrogen: Deuterium is a form of hydrogen whose atomic nucleus contains one proton and one neutron, unlike the most common form of hydrogen which has only a proton. It is also known as "heavy hydrogen."

Usage

• Deuterium is a non-radioactive isotope.
• It is used in scientific research, nuclear reactors, and as a tracer in chemical and biological studies.
• The chemical symbol for deuterium is D or ²H.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Deuterium is twice as heavy as ordinary hydrogen.
  • The fusion of deuterium and tritium releases a tremendous amount of energy.
  • Scientists used deuterium to label the molecules in the experiment.

Advanced Usage

• "Deuterium oxide" (D₂O): Commonly known as "heavy water," this is water in which the hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium atoms. It is used as a moderator in certain types of nuclear reactors.
  • The nuclear reactor uses deuterium oxide as a neutron moderator.

Variants and Related Words

• Deuteron (n): The nucleus of a deuterium atom, consisting of one proton and one neutron.
  • The deuteron is a stable particle.

Synonyms

• Heavy hydrogen: A common synonym for deuterium.

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Deuterium-tritium fusion: A nuclear fusion reaction between deuterium and tritium nuclei, which is a primary candidate for energy production in fusion power research.
  • Deuterium-tritium fusion is the goal of many experimental reactors.
• Deuterium labeling: A technique in chemistry and biochemistry where deuterium atoms are used to replace hydrogen atoms in a molecule to trace its path in a reaction or metabolic process.
  • Deuterium labeling helped track the drug's metabolism in the body.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an isotope of hydrogen which has one neutron (as opposed to zero neutrons in hydrogen)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• heavy hydrogen