What are the 3 isotopes of helium?

superfluid research stable isotopes of helium are helium-3 (or 3He), with two protons and one neutron, and helium-4 (or 4He), with two protons and two neutrons.

Why is helium-3 an isotope?

Helium-3 was originally thought to be a radioactive isotope until it was found in samples of natural helium,, taken both from the terrestrial atmosphere and from natural gas wells. Other than 1H, helium-3 is the only stable isotope of any element with more protons than neutrons.

What happens when a deuterium combines with helium-3?

Two pairs of protons (two pairs of hydrogen atoms) collide and become two atoms of deuterium. Each deuterium them combines again with a proton (hydrogen) to form helium-3, which combine again and eventually form helium-4.

What the differences are between hydrogen 3 and helium-3?

They focused on the light, stable isotope of helium called helium-3 and a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen called tritium. Helium-3 contains two protons and one neutron, while tritium contains one proton and two neutrons.

What is helium-3 and why is it so important?

Helium-3 is an important isotope in instrumentation for neutron detection. It has a high absorption cross section for thermal neutron beams and is used as a converter gas in neutron detectors. The neutron is converted through the nuclear reaction

Why is helium 3 rare on Earth?

The precious isotope never arrives because Earth’s magnetic field pushes it away. Fortunately, the conditions that make helium-3 rare on Earth are absent on the moon, where it has accumulated on the surface and been mixed with the debris layer of dust and rock, or regolith, by constant meteor strikes.

Why is helium 3 abundant on the Moon?

The moon has abundant supplies of helium-3, a light and non-radioactive fusion fuel that is virtually nonexistent here on Earth. Because the moon lacks an atmosphere and has been bombarded by solar winds containing helium-3 for billions of years, the moon has massive volumes of the isotope.

What are 3 things helium is used for?

In addition to its main use in floating balloons and airships, helium has been used in a mixture with oxygen to relieve asthma and other respiratory diseases, for welding magnesium, aluminum, and stainless steel, and in radio tubes, electrical searchlights, and deep-sea diving equipment.