Re: Weight of HTO

[Rich Oesterling <rgo@srv.net>]

At 17:48 2/23/96 -0600, js_dukelow@ccmail.pnl.gov wrote:
>Ron --
>
>     Oops!  Good point.  What you say about plastic vs glass sounds 
>plausible, but it is not something I know very much about.
>
>     Thanks for the correction.  Best regards.
>
>Jim Dukelow
>
>js_dukelow@pnl.gov
>
>
>______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
>Subject: Weight of HTO
>Author:  RONALD_GOODWIN@health.ohio.gov at -SMTPlink
>Date:    2/23/96 7:15 AM
>
>
>     Jim,
>
>     Is the atomic mass of HTO not 22 (Trit = 3 amu X 2 Trit atoms + O for 
>     16 = 22).  Just wondering if I can still do chemistry.  I've been 
>     writing regulations too darn long.
>
>     Also, as suggested earlier, the Supervisor of Contaminated Site here 
>     at ODH and I have been discussing the possibility of the plastic liner 
>     causing some stratification as the Trit ion is drawn to the charged 
>     liner (we make this assumption based on the fact that recommended 
>     containers for Tritium sampling is always glass as plastic has a 
>     tendancy to create some ionic exchanges with the trit changing the 
>     concentration in the water.)  Again, if this is not good thinking let 
>     me know, cause we are being fairly strict in requiring glass for trit 
>     sampling to prevent this activity.
>
>     Thanks for listening and responding, if you decide to.
>
>     Regards
>     Ronald_Goodwin@health.ohio.gov
>     Senior HEalth Physicist

I guess I am getting too old for this new math.  Back in the good ol' days,
"H" was used as shorthand to mean hydrogen with a atomic mass of 1, "D" for
atomic mass of 2, and "T" for an atomic mass of 3.  Thus, HTO would have a
molecular mass of 20, assuming that the atomic mass of "O" is 16.  If one
had T2O in hand, then its molecular mass would indeed be 22.

R. G. Oesterling