Why is deuterium oxide called " heavy water"?
it has extra hydrogen atoms
it has extra oxygen atoms
its oxygen atoms are heavier than others
its hydrogen atoms are heavier than others
Deuterium oxide is commonly referred to as "heavy water" because it contains a heavier isotope of hydrogen called deuterium. Deuterium has an additional neutron in the nucleus compared to regular hydrogen, resulting in a slightly higher atomic mass. This extra neutron makes the water molecule slightly heavier than regular water, hence the name "heavy water."
Deuterium oxide is called "heavy water" because of the presence of a heavier isotope of hydrogen called deuterium.
To understand this, let's break it down:
1. Difference in isotopes: Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen that contains one proton and one neutron in its nucleus, whereas the most common isotope of hydrogen, called protium, contains just one proton. This additional neutron in deuterium gives it slightly more mass than protium.
2. Hydrogen atoms in water: In normal water, or "light water," the vast majority of hydrogen atoms are protium, making it the lighter isotope. However, in heavy water, a significant proportion of the hydrogen atoms are replaced with deuterium.
3. Impact on water's mass: When deuterium replaces protium in water molecules, the resulting water isotope, called deuterium oxide, is slightly heavier than normal water due to the additional mass of the deuterium atoms.
Therefore, the term "heavy water" refers to the fact that deuterium oxide has a higher mass compared to regular water. It is important to note that heavy water still contains the same number of oxygen atoms, but the hydrogen atoms are heavier due to the presence of deuterium.
Deuterium oxide, commonly known as "heavy water," is called so because it has heavier hydrogen atoms compared to regular water.
The nucleus of a regular hydrogen atom consists of only one proton. However, in heavy water, one or both of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium, which is a hydrogen isotope with one proton and one neutron in its nucleus.
Since a deuterium atom has an additional neutron, it is heavier than a regular hydrogen atom. This extra neutron results in an increase in the atomic mass of the deuterium atom and, thus, the water molecule as a whole.
It should be noted that the oxygen atoms in heavy water are not heavier than oxygen atoms in regular water. The primary difference lies in the heavier hydrogen isotope, deuterium.