{"id":87017,"date":"2025-06-01T04:26:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T04:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/?p=87017"},"modified":"2025-06-01T04:26:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T04:26:19","slug":"what-is-the-use-of-heavy-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/what-is-the-use-of-heavy-water\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the use of heavy water?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is the use of heavy water?<\/p>\n

[amp_mcq option1=”It is used in nuclear reactors as a moderator” option2=”It is used in nuclear reactors as fuel” option3=”It is used in radiation therapy for cancer” option4=”It is used in water softening plants” correct=”option1″]<\/p>\n

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\n
This question was previously asked in<\/div>\n
UPSC Geoscientist – 2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Download PDF<\/a>Attempt Online<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nHeavy water (D\u2082O) is deuterium oxide, where hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen with one proton and one neutron. In nuclear reactors, heavy water is primarily used as a moderator. A moderator slows down the fast neutrons released during nuclear fission to thermal neutron energies, which are required to sustain a nuclear chain reaction, especially in reactors using natural uranium as fuel.
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\nHeavy water acts as a neutron moderator in certain types of nuclear reactors, effectively slowing down neutrons without absorbing them significantly.
\n<\/section>\n
\nBesides being a moderator, heavy water can also serve as a coolant in nuclear reactors. Unlike light water reactors (using H\u2082O), heavy water reactors can often use unenriched uranium as fuel. While nuclear reactors produce radioisotopes used in cancer therapy, heavy water itself is not used directly in radiation therapy. Water softening typically involves removing hard ions like Ca\u00b2\u207a and Mg\u00b2\u207a, not a function of heavy water.
\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the use of heavy water? [amp_mcq option1=”It is used in nuclear reactors as a moderator” option2=”It is used in nuclear reactors as fuel” option3=”It is used in radiation therapy for cancer” option4=”It is used in water softening plants” correct=”option1″] This question was previously asked in UPSC Geoscientist – 2023 Download PDFAttempt Online Heavy … <\/p>\n

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