Why are the isotopes of hydrogen given different names?

Answer 1

Isotopes of all elements differ from each other by the number of neutrons.

Unlike the "heavier" elements, the addition of one or two neutrons to the single proton of hydrogen changes the relative atomic mass of the atoms very significantly (doubling or tripling the mass). This increase in mass does have a significant effect on the rates of chemical reactions of these isotopes.

Although it is still Hydrogen, the chemists who had to deal with the separation and chemistry of deuterium and tritium found it easier to communicate by giving these their unique names.

Not just the chemical properties are different. The nucleus of deuterium atom is called the deuteron and has a spin +1 and is thus a boson. In Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy, the frequency of deuterium is significantly different from common single proton hydrogen. Similarly infrared spectroscopy also easily differentiates many deuterated compounds, due to the large difference in IR absorption frequency seen in the vibration of a chemical bond containing deuterium, verses light hydrogen.

The results for radioactive tritium are even more different.

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Answer 2

Hydrogen, Deuterium and Tritium all differ by one neutron each.

Hydrogen's nucleus just contains one proton; Deuterium, pne proton and one neutron; and Tritium, one proton and two neutrons.

They have different names because the properties of deuterium and tritium are markedly different to regular hydrogen.

Deuterium combined with oxygen, in the form of HD0 and D20, is known as heavy water - and it's deadly to drink, because the molecules don't behave the way light water dows.

Tritium is actually unstable and radioactive, and again dangerous to ingest in any form.

With other, heavier, elements, the different amounts of neutrons don't really affect the chemical properties of the elements much. Radioactive Carbon - 14 and regular Carbon - 12 are pretty much interchangeable, and living things contain traces of C-14 ingested from the environment, with no ill effects (it's how scientists can carbon date fossils).

But the nuclear sutructures of the three isotopes of hydrogen do have a marked effect on their chemical properties, and that's why it's important to give each their own names, and even their own chemical symbols.

Answer 3

Well it's purely arbitrary but think about the size of a hydrogen atom. Just 1 proton. If you compare different isotopes they are more different than isotopes of any other element. Because of these big differences they have have some radically different uses so they get their own names. There's no scientific reason!

Answer 4

Cuz the isotope weight ratio within hydrogen is significant. normal hydrogen has molar mass of 1, but deuterium [2H, or symbol D] has molar mass of 2 [double of protium [1H, symbol H] molar mass] and [3H, or symbol T] tritium has molar mass of 3 [triple].

The isotope weight ratios within other chemical elements are largely insignificant in this regard, explaining the lack of unique isotope symbols elsewhere.

Answer 5

Isotopes of Hydrogen are diferent from one another since they have different amounts of neutrons. They are given different names to distinguish one from the others.

Answer 6

The three isotopes of hydrogen -- Hydrogen (more properly known as protium), Deuterium, and Tritium -- earned individual names because they are some of the basic building blocks of the universe. And if you look at the latin derivations -- pro, deu, & tri -- you can see how they match. Pro - one, deu - two, tri - three = match the atomic masses of the atoms.

Answer 7

cuz they are different things, they need different names