heavy water

/'hevi'wɔ:tə/

Thân thiện

A scientist carefully pours a sample of heavy water into a beaker.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Water containing deuterium: A form of water where the hydrogen atoms are replaced by the heavier isotope deuterium (hydrogen-2). Its chemical formula is D₂O.
   • Use in nuclear reactors: It is used as a neutron moderator and coolant in certain types of nuclear reactors because it slows down neutrons effectively without absorbing them as readily as ordinary water.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The nuclear reactor uses heavy water as a moderator.
  • Scientists analyzed a sample of heavy water in the laboratory.

Advanced Usage

• "To produce heavy water": Refers to the industrial process of separating or concentrating deuterium oxide from ordinary water.
  • The facility was built to produce heavy water for the research reactor.

Variants and Related Words

• Deuterium oxide (D₂O): The scientific name for heavy water.
• Light water: Ordinary water (H₂O), used as a contrast to heavy water in nuclear engineering contexts.
• Semi-heavy water (HDO): Water where one hydrogen atom is replaced by deuterium.

Synonyms

• Deuterium oxide: The precise chemical term.

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Heavy water reactor: A type of nuclear reactor that uses heavy water as its moderator and/or coolant.
• Heavy water moderator: The specific role heavy water plays in slowing down neutrons in a nuclear reactor.

Học thuật

Noun

1. water containing a substantial proportion of deuterium atoms, used in nuclear reactors

Từ đồng nghĩa

• deuterium oxide