tritium

/'tritiəm/

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Word: Tritium

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Tritium is a special kind of hydrogen atom. While regular hydrogen has one proton and no neutrons, tritium has one proton and two neutrons. Because of this extra mass, tritium is heavier than regular hydrogen. Tritium is also radioactive, which means it can emit energy and particles as it breaks down over time.

Usage Instructions:

• Tritium is primarily used in scientific contexts, especially in chemistry and nuclear physics.
• It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but can be encountered in discussions about nuclear energy, fusion, or environmental science.

Example Sentence:

• "Tritium is used in certain types of nuclear reactors to produce energy."

Advanced Usage:

• Tritium is often discussed in the context of nuclear fusion, where it can combine with other elements to release a large amount of energy. Scientists are researching how to use tritium for future energy solutions.

Word Variants:

• Tritium (noun): The term itself doesn't have many variants but is often paired with terms related to isotopes or nuclear science.

Different Meanings:

• Tritium specifically refers to a type of hydrogen in scientific contexts. In other contexts, the word does not have different meanings.

Synonyms:

• There are no direct synonyms for tritium as it is a specific scientific term. However, it can be grouped with other isotopes of hydrogen such as:
  • Deuterium: Another isotope of hydrogen that has one proton and one neutron.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no idioms or phrasal verbs that directly involve the word tritium since it is a technical term.

Summary:

Tritium is a specific, radioactive form of hydrogen with two neutrons, used mainly in scientific fields related to nuclear energy.

Academic

Noun

1. a radioactive isotope of hydrogen; atoms of tritium have three times the mass of ordinary hydrogen atoms