Question

Βᵈecay of (³H) (tritium), a manufactured isotope of hydrogen used in some digital watch displays and primarily for use in hydrogen bombs.

a) (³H) undergoes βᵈecay.
b) (³H) undergoes β⁺ decay.
c) (³H) undergoes electron capture.
d) (³H) undergoes α decay.

Answer 1

Tritium (³H) undergoes a. beta (ß) decay, emitting an electron and transforming into helium-3, with a half-life of 12.3 years. It is used in digital watches and hydrogen bombs.

Step-by-step explanation:

³H (tritium) is a manufactured isotope of hydrogen that undergoes a. beta (ß) decay. This decay process involves the transformation of a neutron into a proton and an electron, with the electron being ejected from the nucleus. During ß decay, the atomic number of the element increases by one, while the atomic mass remains constant.

In the case of tritium decay, a tritium nucleus (having one proton and two neutrons) will decay into a helium-3 nucleus (with two protons and one neutron), emitting an electron (also known as a ß particle) in the process.

The beta decay of tritium is significant because it is used in applications such as digital watch displays and more critically, in hydrogen bombs. It also has a scientifically notable half-life of about 12.3 years, meaning that after this period, half of a given sample of tritium will have decayed into helium-3.