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Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen. The nucleus of a deuterium atom consists of one proton and one neutron. When two deuterium nuclei fuse, helium-3 is formed, and a neutron is emitted.

Which equation illustrates this process?

A. [tex]\(2 H_2 + O_2 \rightarrow 2 H_2O\)[/tex]
B. [tex]\({ }_2^2 H \rightarrow { }_1^3 H + { }_1^1 H\)[/tex]
C. [tex]\(2{ }_1^1 H \rightarrow { }_1^2 H + \frac{0}{1} e\)[/tex]
D. [tex]\(2{ }_1^2 H \rightarrow { }_2^3 He + { }_0^1 n\)[/tex]

Sagot :

Certainly! Let's break down the information and the equations step by step to find the correct nuclear reaction that illustrates the fusion of two deuterium nuclei to form helium-3 and an emitted neutron.

1. Deuterium Nucleus Composition:
- A deuterium nucleus consists of one proton ([tex]\(^{1}\mathrm{H}\)[/tex]) and one neutron. The mass number (A) is 2, and the atomic number (Z) is 1. Hence, deuterium is represented as [tex]\(^{2}_1 \mathrm{H}\)[/tex].

2. Nuclear Fusion Process:
- When two deuterium nuclei fuse, they form a helium-3 nucleus and emit a neutron.
- To understand the products:
- Helium-3 is represented as [tex]\(^{3}_2 \mathrm{He}\)[/tex] (with mass number 3 and atomic number 2).
- A neutron is represented as [tex]\(^{1}_0 \mathrm{n}\)[/tex] (with mass number 1 and atomic number 0).

3. Balancing the Equation:
- For the nuclear reaction to be correct, the sum of atomic numbers (protons) and mass numbers (protons + neutrons) on both sides must be equal.

Let's match the given options to these criteria:

- Option 1:
[tex]\(2 \mathrm{H}_2 + \mathrm{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O}\)[/tex]
This is a chemical reaction where hydrogen (H) reacts with oxygen (O) to form water (H₂O). This does not involve nuclear fusion of deuterium.

- Option 2:
[tex]\(^{2}_2 \mathrm{H} \rightarrow { }_1^3 \mathrm{H} + { }_1^1 \mathrm{H}\)[/tex]
This suggests one isotope of hydrogen ([tex]\(^{2}_2 \mathrm{H}\)[/tex]) splitting into two other isotopes ([tex]\(^{3}_1 \mathrm{H}\)[/tex] and [tex]\(^{1}_1 \mathrm{H}\)[/tex]). This does not match the requirements for two deuterium nuclei fusing into helium-3.

- Option 3:
[tex]\(2 { }_1^1 \mathrm{H} \rightarrow{ }_1^2 \mathrm{H} + \frac{0}{1} e\)[/tex]
This is not correct for our required reaction. This option describes proton-proton fusion, not deuterium fusion.

- Option 4:
[tex]\(2{ }_1^2 \mathrm{H} \rightarrow { }_2^3 \mathrm{He} + { }_0^1 \mathrm{n}\)[/tex]
Here:
- Left side: [tex]\(2{ }_1^2 \mathrm{H}\)[/tex] (Two deuterium nuclei, having a total mass number of 4 and atomic number of 2)
- Right side: [tex]\( { }_2^3 \mathrm{He}\)[/tex] (Helium-3 nucleus, mass number 3, atomic number 2) and [tex]\({ }_0^1 \mathrm{n}\)[/tex] (neutron, mass number 1, atomic number 0)
- The number of protons on both sides adds up to 2 and the total masses on both sides add up to 4.
- This confirms the nuclear equation, correctly showing the fusion process.

Conclusion:
The correct equation illustrating the fusion of two deuterium nuclei to form helium-3 and an emitted neutron is:

[tex]\[2{ }_1^2 \mathrm{H} \rightarrow { }_2^3 \mathrm{He} + { }_0^1 \mathrm{n}\][/tex]

Hence, the answer is:

[tex]\[4\][/tex]
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