Question

Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen whose nucleus Triton contains 2 neutrons and 1 proton. Free neutrons decay into `p + bare + barν`. If one of the neutrons in Triton decays, it would transform into He³ nucleus. This does not happen. This is because ______.

Options

• triton energy is less than that of a He³ nucleus.

• the electron created in the beta decay process cannot remain in the nucleus.

• both the neutrons in triton have to decay simultaneously resulting in a nucleus with 3 protons, which is not a He³ nucleus.

• because free neutrons decay due to external perturbations which is absent in a triton nucleus.

Answer 1

Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen whose nucleus Triton contains 2 neutrons and 1 proton. Free neutrons decay into `p + bare + barν`. If one of the neutrons in Triton decays, it would transform into He³ nucleus. This does not happen. This is because triton energy is less than that of a He³ nucleus.

Explanation:

Isotopes: The atoms of elements having the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called isotopes. All isotopes have the same chemical properties. The isotopes of some elements are the following:

₁H¹, ₁H², ₁H³

₈I¹⁶, ₈I¹⁷, ₈I¹⁶

₂He³, ₂He⁴

₁₇CI³⁵, ₁₇Cl³⁷

₉₂U²³⁵, ₉₂U²³⁸

The nucleus of Tritium (₁H³) contains 1 proton and 2 neutrons. In a neutron that decays as `n -> p + bare + barv`, the nucleus may have 2 protons and one neutron, i.e., tritium will transform into ₂He³ (2 protons and 1 neutron).

Triton energy is less than that of the ₂He³ nucleus, i.e., transformation is not allowed energetically.