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QUESTION #365

What is heavy water?

Asked by: Adnan Strujic

Answer

Normal water is made of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom covalently bonded together. This gives the famous H₂0 formula.

Heavy water has exactly the same structure, except the hydrogen atoms are isotopes of hydrogen called 'Deuterium'. Standard hydrogen has one proton in its nucleus (Relative Molecular Mass = 1), deuterium has one proton AND one neutron in it nucleus, (RMM = 2) hence it is 'heavier' than normal hydrogen. This leads to the water being heavier. Mass of water = 18, mass of heavy water = 20.
Answered by: Simon Hooks, Physics A-Level Student, Gosport, UK