Diffusion of Heavy Water into Ordinary Water

Abstract

W. J. C. ORR and D. W. Thomson¹ have found the velocity of diffusion of HDO into H₂O to be abnormally large, the diffusion constant D being 9 × 10⁴ cm.² sec.^-1 at 15° C., whereas for all simple substances in water, diffusion constants are of the order of magnitude 10⁵ cm.² sec.^-1. Since this result, if it were true, would be of considerable significance for the theory of the structure of water, experiments were made to verify it.