Question

What is heavy water made of?

Answer 1

Heavy water:

• Heavy water contains only Deuterium which is an isotope of Hydrogen that contains a proton and a neutron.
• The chemical formula of deuterium is ${\mathrm{D}}_2\mathrm{O}$.
• The freezing point and boiling point of heavy water is $3.8°\mathrm{C}$ and $101.4°\mathrm{C}$.

Uses of heavy water:

• Heavy water is used as a neutron moderator in nuclear reactors.
• Heavy water is used in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR) spectroscopy.
• It is used for aqueous solutions involving the study of hydrogen nuclide.
• Heavy water is used in Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR) Spectroscopy of proteins.
• Heavy water is used for metabolic rate testing in physiology and biology.
• Heavy water is used in the formation of another hydrogen isotope called tritium.