What is Tritium?
'''Tritium''' is an [[isotope]] of [[hydrogen]], the lightest [[Chemical element|element]]. Tritium has one [[proton]] and two [[neutron]]s. It heavier than ordinary hydrogen or its isotope [[deuterium]]. Hydrogen does not have any neutrons, only a proton. The [[Chemistry|chemical]] [[symbol]] for Tritium is '''<sup>3</sup>H''' or '''T'''. In [[nature]], tritium is made when [[cosmic ray]]s hit [[nitrogen]] in the [[Earth's atmosphere]]. Tritium has a [[Half-life (element)|half-life]] of a little more than twelve years, so there is not much in the atmosphere. People make much more tritium in [[nuclear reactor]]s, so that they can make things from it. == Ways of using tritium == Tritium is important for [[nuclear fusion]] power. Tritium is added to [[nuclear bomb]]s to make them more powerful when they explode. Tritium is often used with [[phosphor]]s to make [[luminescence|glow in the dark]] key-rings, and [[sight]]s on [[rifle]]s. Tritium makes the phosphors glow because it is [[radioactive]]ly unstable and gives [[energy]] to the phosphor so it can make light. Before lots of tritium could be made, people used [[radium]] to make things light up but this gave people [[cancer]]. [[Radioactive decay]] produces tritium. High levels of tritium were found in [[2013]] in the [[Pacific]] near the [[Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant]] two years after the [[Fukushima nuclear disaster]].[http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201306250085] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629014631/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201306250085 |date=2013-06-29 }} == Other websites == * [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Tritium Tritium] -Citizendium {{-}} {{Periodic Table}} {{-}} {{chem-stub}} [[Category:Hydrogen]] [[Category:Isotopes]]