Heavy Water and Hydrogen Fuel

The topic of the formula of heavy water and its properties has a basic presence in the syllabus of class 11th. The subject of chemistry is all about the chemical reaction and chemical properties of an element. Though water is the most basic in the entire element, its formation and mixing with other elements has the core coverage in the subject. The ions of water mix with other elements, and the changes occurring in the properties and function of the compound are the foundation of the complete study. The Unacademy notes provide the knowledge about each reaction of water with other elements in a categorical method. The descriptive way of explaining the topic makes the student confidently solve the chemical reactions with relative elements.

Definition

Water is the most basic component of the elements present in the periodic table. Heavy water is the composition of oxygen and deuterium, forming the deuterium oxide. The chemical formula of heavy water is D2O which contains two atoms of deuterium and a single atom of oxygen. The molecular mass of this type of water is higher than regular water. The physical and chemical properties of heavy water are slightly different from regular water. This is because it consists of the double ions of deuterium and the oxygen, and it has a D2O chemical name due to its chemical composition.

 It has the isotope of hydrogen with double molecular mass than its presence in regular water. Ordinary water consists of deuterium atoms after the several (around 6760) hydrogen atoms. This is the water composition that is present in the natural resources. The formula of heavy water slows down the movement of electrons in an effective manner. It also has a low tendency to absorb neutrons, and for this reason, it is highly usable in reactors as moderators.

Properties

Several properties of heavy water react in a distinct manner as it has a different composition which depicts in the formula of heavy water. These properties vary with regular water through physical and chemical reactions. Here is the description:

Physical properties

• The physical properties consist of its appearance, volume which is responsible for variable performance in many uses of heavy water. 

• The appearance of heavy water is colorless, and this is due to the formula of heavy water being D2O.

• The molecular mass of heavy water is 20.2 grams/mole. This means that the heavy water molecules are much heavier than the regular water. This also affects the density of water.

• Heavy water exists in the odorless form at room temperature, just like regular water, which denotes the properties of what is heavy water in chemistry.

• The density of deuterium oxide (heavy water) is 11% higher than the regular water. This is because the ice of heavy water sinks easily in the normal water due to its high density.

• The mixture of heavy water and regular water forms a homogeneous mixture that reacts according to the D2O chemical name and properties.

Chemical properties

• Heavy water has distinctive chemical properties which form many chemical bonds and mark their presence in the chemical reaction. All these have the basis of the chemical properties of heavy water. Some of them are:

• The atoms of hydrogen have different atomic masses, and thus they depict the distinctive chemical behavior in heavy water. As the formula of heavy water has a deuterium composition, the presence of deuterium has higher masses in comparison to regular water. 

• The dissociation process in heavy water is less than the regular water. This is because the masses of the atoms of heavy water are more from the regular water.

• The solvent properties of heavy water are very poor due to the high presence of deuterium in it, which answers the reason for what is heavy water in chemistry. It puts a hostile effect on the biological properties of nature.

• At a particular temperature, the Deuterium ion (D+) effect has a lower value than the Hydrogen (H+) because of its molecular masses and density.

Types

There are three types of heavy water with certain variations in its consistency:

Semi heavy water

This type of heavy water consists of one atom of Protium, one atom of oxygen, and a single atom of deuterium. According to which formula of heavy water in this composition is HDO. In this composition, the atoms of hydrogen exchange the ions between each other and contain an equal ratio of Protium and deuterium. This is the reason it contains 50% of heavy water and 25% of normal and heavy water each. The process of dynamic equilibrium takes place between the H2, D2O, and HDO. 

Tritiated water

This is the radioactive form of water that contains the tritium content in the place of Protium. This is super heavy water, and the formula of heavy water in this composition is T2. This tritium content water can determine the total volume of the human body due to its radioactive nature. 

Heavy oxygen water

This is the third type of heavy water which has heavier isotopes of water like 17O and 18O. This type of heavy water is usable in radiotracers and radiopharmaceuticals. The production of fluorine 18F with heavy isotope is very easy with such consistency of water. Its density and molecular mass are very high than regular water, and thus it is usable only in a few industrial practices.

Uses

There are certain uses of heavy water which are:

• It is effective in studying the mechanism of respiration and photosynthesis.

• The metabolism rate in humans and animals undergo testing with the mixture of deuterium and heavy oxygen water.

• It is highly effective in the preparation of deuterium.

Conclusion

These are certain properties of heavy water according to the composition and formula of heavy water. The Unacademy marks the elaborative study for this topic because the properties and facts here greatly impact higher studies. The study pattern follows the easy language and categorical method, which engage the student to develop in core interest. Basic FAQ and explanation clear the doubts right after reading about any of the topics.