Q. With reference to Tritium, consider the following statements:
1.It is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
2.It is used as a fuel in proposed nuclear fusion reactor.
3.It occurs abundantly in nature due to its long half-life and therefore does not require artificial production in nuclear reactors.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation: 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is correct: Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen with one proton and two neutrons. It undergoes beta (β⁻) decay with a half-life of about 12.3 years, producing helium-3.
Statement 2 is correct: Tritium is a key fuel in the deuterium–tritium (D–T) fusion reaction, which is the leading candidate for future fusion power plants because it requires comparatively lower ignition temperatures and has a high fusion reaction probability.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Tritium is extremely scarce in nature. Although small quantities are produced naturally through interactions of cosmic rays with the atmosphere, most tritium used in research and nuclear technology is artificially produced, typically by neutron irradiation of lithium-6 in nuclear reactors.
Source: TH
