In the electrolysis of water, the hydrogen gas evolved at the cathode is enriched in deuterium (hydrogen-2), compared to the more common isotope, protium (hydrogen-1).

Question

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In the electrolysis of water, the hydrogen gas evolved at the cathode contains both protium (H-1) and deuterium (H-2), but the proportion of deuterium is very small (about 0.015%). Therefore, the hydrogen gas is not enriched in deuterium.

In the Electrolysis of Water, the Hydrogen Gas Evolved at the Cathode