Editing 2719: Hydrogen Isotopes

{{comic
| number    = 2719
| date      = January 2, 2023
| title     = Hydrogen Isotopes
| image     = hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png
| imagesize = 442x250px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = Oops, All Neutrons is also known as Neutral Quadrium, Nydnonen, and Goth Tritium.
}}

==Explanation==
{{W|Hydrogen}} is the simplest of the chemical atoms, usually consisting of an electron orbiting a lone proton, but it has two other naturally occurring {{w|isotope}}s. This comic shows real and humorously fictional forms of hydrogen, generally depicted according to the {{w|Discovery of the neutron#Proton–neutron model of the nucleus|Chadwick model}} of the atom; see [[2100: Models of the Atom]] for details.

{| class="wikitable"
! "Isotope"
! Real?
! Description
|-
|Hydrogen
|Yes
|Hydrogen-1 is the most common isotope of hydrogen, with one proton and one electron, depicted with the electron orbiting the central proton. It is also occasionally known as protium.
|-
|Deuterium
|Yes
|{{w|Deuterium}} is the second most common isotope of hydrogen, with one electron and both a neutron and proton in its nucleus. About one of every 6,760 hydrogen atoms in seawater is deuterium. Its chemical symbol is D, or [[2614: 2|<sup>2</sup>H]], and it's also called heavy hydrogen or hydrogen-2.
|-
|Tritium
|Yes
|{{w|Tritium}} is the third most common isotope of hydrogen, with an electron orbiting a nucleus of one proton and two neutrons to give it an atomic mass of about three {{w|Dalton (unit)|daltons}}. It is radioactive with a half-life of about twelve years and is very rare (but not as rare as unbound "instant hydrogen" neutrons). It can also be designated as hydrogen-3, with the symbol T or, more often, <sup>3</sup>H.
|-
|Ium
|Only in the lab
|This is a free electron orbiting around nothing. Following the naming of the heavier hydrogen isotopes, where a prefix designating the number of {{w|nucleons}} is followed by the suffix "-ium", the lack of a nucleus is designated here by the absence of a prefix.  A free electron will not circle around nothing but ''will'' react to electromagnetic fields. A {{w|Penning trap}} can confine electrons to move in circles. 
|-
|Wheelium
|No
|This fictional form consists of a proton, electron and neutron orbiting around nothing, with the appearance of all rotating as if on a wheel rim. The neutron could bind to the proton, but will more likely {{w|Elastic_scattering#Nuclear particle physics|elastically scatter}} away.
|-
|Instant hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)
|Yes, but rare[https://radioactivity.eu.com/phenomenon/neutronic_radiation]
|This is just a single neutron. An unbound neutron will decay into a proton, an electron and an antineutrino after a mean lifetime of just under fifteen minutes. While the free proton is technically a positive hydrogen ion, the emitted proton and electron will only form into an atom together [https://van.physics.illinois.edu/ask/listing/1207 about four times in a million]. The name is likely a reference to "instant" food, such as noodles, which are reduced for convenience and can be quickly reconstituted when required.
|-
|Hydrogen (maximum strength)
|No
|This fictional isotope consists of an electron, a proton and [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hydrogen_isotopes_2x.png what appear to be at least 15] neutrons. The heaviest {{w|Isotopes of hydrogen#List of isotopes|hydrogen isotope known}} at present is <sup>7</sup>H, with six neutrons. All isotopes heavier than <sup>3</sup>H decay almost immediately, most likely by {{w|Nuclear drip line|dripping}} neutrons and emitting a large amount of energy. "Maximum strength" may be a reference to over-the-counter medicines that contain the largest permitted quantity of active ingredients.
|-
|Oops, All Neutrons
|Extremely unlikely
|This fictional form consists of four neutrons, with one orbiting around a group of three. As the existence of {{w|tetraneutron|tetraneutrons}} is still uncertain, their possible configurations are unknown but the depicted configuration is very unlikely given the characteristics of the fundamental forces. The name is probably a reference to an American breakfast cereal called {{w|Cap'n Crunch#Variations|Oops! All Berries}}, which has been previously referenced in [[2256: Bad Map Projection: South America]].
|}

The title text provides three other names for Oops, All Neutrons:
# "Neutral Quadrium": {{w|Isotopes_of_hydrogen#Hydrogen-4|Quadrium}} is the extremely rare artificial isotope hydrogen-4, with a proton and three neutrons.[https://www.chem.ccu.edu.tw/~hu/Web_Lib/articles/Muonium+H2_Science_2011.pdf][https://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/GodesRcontrolled.pdf] The proton and electron have been replaced with neutrons.
# "Nydnonen" is the word "hydrogen" with three consonants replaced by the letter 'n' so that it has four of them, representing the four neutrons.
# "Goth Tritium": All the particles in the depiction are black, resembling typical {{w|gothic fashion}}, and in the same configuration as the particles of tritium.

==Transcript==
:[Eight drawings of different versions of hydrogen atoms are shown. They are arranged in two rows of four. The depictions use the planetary model version with for instance a negative electron (with a "-" written inside a small circle) orbiting a positive proton (with a "+" written inside a larger circle) and a black neutron depicted as a circle of the same size as the neutron, as in the second atom - Deuterium. Each has a label underneath. Here, they are listed in reading order:]
:[An electron orbiting a proton:] 
:Hydrogen

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with a neutron:] 
:Deuterium

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with two neutrons, so that they form a triangle:] 
:Tritium

:[An electron orbiting nothing:]
:Ium

:[An electron, a proton and a neutron placed equidistant from each other on the same circular orbit around nothing:]
:Wheelium

:[A single neutron:] 
:Instant Hydrogen (ready in 15 minutes)

:[An electron orbiting a proton connected with many neutrons, 13 visible with six touching the proton which are in front. Four more are close to those six and mostly shown and then three are only just visible behind the others. Looking closely there are also two smaller dots near the edge indicating at least two more, for 15 that can be seen. And several more would be behind the visible neutrons if this forms a spherical shape. The electron's orbit just barely goes around the outer neutrons:] 
:Hydrogen (maximum strength)

:[Four neutrons, arranged like the particles in Tritium but with a neutron orbiting a triangle of neutrons.]
:Oops, All Neutrons

{{comic discussion}}

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[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Chemistry]]