How Many Isotopes of Hydrogen are There

Introduction

There are three isotopes of Hydrogen which are Protium, Deuterium and Tritium. Isotopes are those variants of chemical elements that are made up of the same number of protons and electrons but differ in the number of neutrons. They are basically different species of atoms belonging to the same chemical element. All the isotopes of an element share the same atomic number and their electrons are arranged in the same configuration, but the atomic masses of isotopes are what differentiates them. This is due to the difference in the total number of protons and neutrons in the element's nucleus.

Isotopes of Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the first element present in the periodic table. It has the atomic number 1. The three isotopes of Hydrogen are Protium, Deuterium and Tritium. They have the same atomic number 1 but differ from each other in their mass numbers.

Protium is represented as _{1}^{1}\textrm{H} . It has no neutrons present. It is the most prominent form of Hydrogen and accounts for 99.98% of the total Hydrogen present in nature. The nucleus of protium consists of one proton and this proton is known to never decay which explains its high presence. It is an electrically neutral atom.

Deuterium is represented as _{1}^{2}\textrm{H} . It consists of one proton and one neutron in its nucleus which is termed a deuteron. Deuterium is not a radioactive isotope. Compounds of Deuterium are used in chemical analysis and solvents for hydrogen. Heavy water is enriched with deuterium molecules and not protium. It occurs naturally in the gaseous state.

Tritium is represented as _{1}^{3}\textrm{H} . It consists of two neutrons and one proton in its nucleus. Small traces of tritium occur in nature. This is due to the synergy of cosmic rays with the gases in the atmosphere. Tritium is a radioactive isotope.

Conclusion

The element Hydrogen has a total of three isotopes which are protium, deuterium and tritium. Protium is the most highly abundant isotope of Hydrogen. Deuterium is also called heavy hydrogen and is a stable isotope. Tritium is a radioactive isotope. These isotopes of Hydrogen have the same atomic number but differ in their molecular masses.