Multiple choice

When compared to heavy water used in the nuclear reactors ordinary water is

  1. several times lighter

  2. marginally lighter

  3. half as light

  4. as heavy because chemically both are the same
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Heavy water (D2O) contains deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen that has twice the mass of regular hydrogen. This makes heavy water about 11% denser than ordinary water (H2O) - marginally heavier, not several times. Chemically, both are water with the same molecular structure and properties, but heavy water has different nuclear properties.

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