Helium-3 facts for kids

Helium-3 (³He) is a special, light, and stable type of helium. It's like a cousin to the regular helium you might know. This special helium has two protons (tiny particles with a positive charge) and just one neutron (a tiny particle with no charge). Scientists first found Helium-3 in 1939.

What is Helium-3?

Helium-3 is a unique form of helium. It's called an isotope, which means it's a version of an element with a different number of neutrons. Regular helium, called Helium-4, has two protons and two neutrons. Helium-3 is special because it only has one neutron, making it lighter.

Where Does Helium-3 Come From?

Helium-3 is a primordial nuclide. This means it has been around since the very beginning of the universe. It's like a tiny leftover from the Big Bang! On Earth, Helium-3 slowly escapes from deep inside the Earth's crust. It then rises into our atmosphere. Over millions of years, this helium can even escape into outer space.

Scientists also believe that Helium-3 can be made naturally in other ways. It can form from nuclear reactions inside the Earth. It can also be created when cosmic rays (high-energy particles from space) hit atoms.

Helium-3 on the Moon

One of the most exciting things about Helium-3 is where we think there's a lot of it. Scientists believe there is much more Helium-3 on the Moon than on Earth. This is because the Moon doesn't have a thick atmosphere or a strong magnetic field like Earth does. This means that particles from the Sun (called solar wind) can hit the Moon's surface directly. These solar wind particles bring Helium-3 to the Moon, where it gets trapped in the lunar soil.

Why is Helium-3 Important?

Helium-3 is very interesting to scientists because it could be a future fusion fuel. Fusion is the process that powers the Sun. It creates huge amounts of energy by combining light atoms. Using Helium-3 for fusion could provide a clean and powerful energy source. It would produce very little radioactive waste compared to current nuclear power plants. This is why some people dream of mining Helium-3 from the Moon one day!

Images for kids

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  Phase diagram for Helium-3

See also

In Spanish: Helio-3 para niños