10 MCQs on Hydrogen Isotopes

Here are 10 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) on Isotopes of Hydrogen, designed to match the level of the CSIR-NET Life Sciences Examination:

1. Which of the following is NOT an isotope of hydrogen?

a) Protium

b) Deuterium

c) Tritium

d) Hydronium

Answer: d) Hydronium

2. Which isotope of hydrogen is radioactive?

a) Protium

b) Deuterium

c) Tritium

d) None of the above

Answer: c) Tritium

3. The nucleus of deuterium consists of:

a) One proton and one electron

b) One proton and one neutron

c) Two protons and one neutron

d) One neutron and no proton

Answer: b) One proton and one neutron

4. The primary application of deuterium in biological research is:

a) As a radioactive tracer

b) In nuclear fusion reactors

c) In metabolic studies using heavy water (D₂O)

d) As an oxidizing agent

Answer: c) In metabolic studies using heavy water (D₂O)

5. Which isotope of hydrogen is most abundant in nature?

a) Protium

b) Deuterium

c) Tritium

d) All occur in equal amounts

Answer: a) Protium

6. Tritium undergoes beta decay to form which element?

a) Helium-3

b) Lithium-3

c) Hydrogen-2

d) Carbon-12

Answer: a) Helium-3

7. What is the approximate half-life of tritium?

a) 12.3 years

b) 5,700 years

c) 10,000 years

d) 1 year

Answer: a) 12.3 years

8. Heavy water (D₂O) is used in:

a) Photosynthesis experiments

b) Radioactive decay studies

c) Nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator

d) Oxygen evolution in plants

Answer: c) Nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator

9. Which technique is commonly used to detect the presence of deuterium in biological samples?

a) Mass spectrometry

b) X-ray crystallography

c) Electron microscopy

d) Fluorescence spectroscopy

Answer: a) Mass spectrometry

10. The relative atomic mass of deuterium is approximately:

a) 1.008 amu

b) 2.014 amu

c) 3.016 amu

d) 4.002 amu

Answer: b) 2.014 amu