Tritium (Noun)
Meaning
A radioactive isotope of hydrogen; atoms of tritium have three times the mass of ordinary hydrogen atoms.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Tritium is a rare and highly radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is produced in small quantities in the Earth's atmosphere.
- The tritium atoms have a relatively short half-life of about 12 years, after which they decay into helium.
- In nuclear reactors, tritium is produced as a byproduct of the reaction between lithium and neutron radiation.
- Scientists have proposed using tritium as a fuel source for experimental fusion reactors due to its high energy density.
- The detection of tritium in environmental samples can be used to estimate the age of groundwater and determine its origin.