Neutrons are subatomic particles found in all conventional matter except hydrogen. They are electrically neutral and tightly bound to protons in the atomic nucleus. Neutrons are responsible for half the weight of conventional matter. They were discovered in 1930 and are made up of two down quarks and one up quark. Understanding neutrons has been crucial in the development of nuclear energy and weapons.
A neutron is a tiny subatomic particle that can be found in virtually all forms of conventional matter, with the one stable exception being the hydrogen atom. The particle’s home is in the atomic nucleus, where it is tightly bound to protons through the strong nuclear force, the strongest force in nature. Neutrons are responsible for about half the weight of conventional matter by volume.
This particle was given its name because it is electrically neutral. It can be seen as a proton and an electron smashed together. Since both of these particles have opposite charges of the same magnitude, their fusion results in a chargeless particle. This lack of charge can make neutrons difficult to detect, but techniques have been devised to observe them that take advantage of how they interact with the nuclei of various atoms. Particles can sometimes behave in a limited way because their constituents, the quarks, have small charges.
Normal atoms have a balanced number of protons and neutrons in their nucleus. For example, helium has two protons and two neutrons, and iron has 26 protons and 26 neutrons. When this balance is broken, the atom is called an isotope, although technically normal atoms are only stable isotopes and the word “isotope” is used colloquially to describe unstable atomic variants.
The neutron was originally discovered in 1930. Its antiparticle, the antineutron, was discovered in 1956. Although a subatomic particle, the neutron is not fundamental. It is made up of two down quarks and one up quark, making it classified as a baryon. That it is made up of smaller parts wasn’t theorized until 1961.
This particle has a similar mass to its nuclear partner, the proton, except that it is slightly greater. It can survive outside the nucleus of an atom, but only for a period of about 15 minutes. At the end of that time, it undergoes a process called beta decay, whereby it breaks down into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino.
Understanding neutrons has been instrumental in the development of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Unstable isotopes give off these particles when they break down, which can start nuclear chain reactions. The large rods inserted into nuclear reactors exist to limit the number of bouncing neutrons.
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