H
Reactive nonmetal
Hydrogen
Z 1A 1mass 1.008
Slow-motion stage
Tritium (hydrogen-3)
proton
neutron
electron (β⁻)
Parent nucleus · 3 nucleons
1 protons (coral) and 2 neutrons (blue) are packed together and held by the strong force.
A real decay takes about 10⁻²¹ s. At ⅓× this stage stretches it across eleven seconds.
Choose a reaction
Reaction
31H32He+β⁻+ ν̄
A neutron turns into a proton. An electron and an antineutrino fly out.
Z
12
+1
A
33
no change
n⁰
21
-1
Energy released
0.019MeV
Electron (max)0.019 MeV
Mass convertedE = Δm c²0.00002 u
In joules2.98 × 10-15 J
Compared with a bonda C–C bond is 3.6 eV≈ 5,167 ×
Half-life of Tritium (hydrogen-3)
12.32 years
An extremely soft beta emitter — the electron carries just 18.6 keV at most.
The particle
- Charge
- −1
- Mass
- 1/1836 u
- Speed
- Up to 99.9% of the speed of light
- Ionising power
- Moderate
- Stopped by
- A few millimetres of aluminium