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Neutrons

Last Updated : 25 Feb, 2024
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Neutrons are fundamental subatomic particles of the atom. An atom is made up of electrons, protons and neutrons. James Chadwick, an English physicist, discovered the neutron in 1932. Neutrons are particles with no charge and higher mass. They are represented by n. They reside inside the nucleus of the atom and along with protons they are called nucleons. Let's learn about neutrons in detail in this article.

What is Neutron?

Neutrons are subatomic particles that are one of the primary constituents of atomic nuclei within Electrons and Protons. Neutron, neutral subatomic particle that is a constituent of every atomic nucleus except ordinary hydrogen.

Neutrons and protons are together termed nucleons since they behave in a very similar manner within the nuclei of atoms. The number of nucleons is also called the Mass number. The mass of a nucleon may be roughly approximated to at least one mass unit (often abbreviated to a.m.u.). The branch of science that deals with the study of the properties of neutrons and also the interactions of those subatomic particles with different matter and nonparticulate radiation is named atomic physics.

A neutron is present inside the nucleus of an atom, Hydrogen atom does not contain a nucleus. As protons and neutrons, both are present inside the nucleus, they are combinedly and known as nucleons.

The image given below shows the electrons, protons and neutrons of an atom.

Structure of Atom

Discovery of Neutron

The existence of neutrons was noted with the help of the Rutherford Nuclear Model of the Atom. there are a few points noted in the discovery of neutrons. (It also gives us remarkable information on the arrangement of the constituent particles)

  • In this experiment where most of the alpha particle passes unreflected.
  • some of them deviate through smaller angles and some with an angle greater than 180 degrees.
  • Thus it indicated the presence of a particle in the middle part of the atom i.e nucleus; it marked the presence of a mass particle and the neutron was discovered later in 1932 by James Chadwick.

The image given below shows the setup for the discovery of Neutrons.

Discovery of Neutron

As electrons have negligible mass and this means the mass of an atom is only due to the proton only but it would create problems in the model thus it was indicated the presence of some neutral particle with a proton that has equal mass to that of a proton must be present in the atom. Rutherford realized that the atomic mass of different species cannot be determined unless there is the presence of another particle thus, Rutherford in 1920 stated that there is a kind of neutral particle with a mass equal to the mass proton present. James Chadwick, in 1932 during the study of the artificial transmutation of atoms, discovered a particle indicated by Rutherford in 1920. When a  fast-moving alpha particle is bombarded with a thin foil of beryllium and beryllium changes into carbon and emits a neutral particle of the same mass as the proton. This new fundamental particle was named neutron because of its neutral nature and The particle was also found in many other reactions.

Charge and Mass of Neutron

  • A neutron has no electric charge linked with it. Neutrons are neutrally charged subatomic particles as a result.
  • A neutron's mass is approximately 1.008 atomic mass units. The mass of a neutron is approximately 1.674 × 10-27 kg when measured in kilograms.
  • Because neutrons do not have an electric charge, mass spectrometry cannot be used to estimate their mass directly.
  • By subtracting the mass of a proton from the mass of a deuterium nucleus (deuterium is a hydrogen isotope with one proton, one electron, and one neutron in its atomic structure), the mass of the neutron may be computed. 
    Because the mass of the electron is so little in comparison to the proton and neutron, the mass of the neutron may be estimated by subtracting the proton's mass from the mass of the deuterium atom.

Applications of Neutrons

Various applications of Neutrons are,

  • Neutrons are highly ionised and penetrating particles that can be employed in boron capture therapy and medical applications. However, when absorbed, they activate the substance and make it radioactive.
  • It is significant in nuclear reactions (understanding of the neutron's behaviour, in particular, has aided in the creation of nuclear weapons and reactors).
  • The neutron activation analysis (NAA) method is used to study a simple sample of materials in a nuclear reactor, and the neutron emitter is used to locate light nuclei in the environment.
  • It is utilised in medical neutron tomography, but it has unfavorable side effects that leave the afflicted area radioactive, hence it is not frequently employed. The neutron lens was being developed at the time.
  • It's utilised in boron capture treatment, which uses a tiny neutron beam to treat cancer. The energy delivered to malignant regions by neutron radiation is orders of magnitude larger than that delivered by gamma radiation.
  • Uranium-235 and plutonium-239 are virtually always utilised in nuclear fission reactors due to nucleus absorption.
  • Warm, hot, and cold neutron applications are employed in nuclear scattering facilities where radiation is utilised to condensate matter in X-ray studies.

Properties of Neutrons

Various properties of Neutrons are,

  • The magnetic moment of neutrons is not equal to zero, despite the fact that they are considered neutral particles. Despite the fact that electric fields have no effect on neutrons, magnetic fields have an influence on these subatomic particles. 
  • Neutrons have a lot of penetration, although not as much as cosmic rays. They haven't been able to ionise a gas yet. 
  • The approximate mass of an atom in a.m.u is equal to the entire sum of the neutron and proton present in an atom (atomic mass unit). Its mass is calculated by subtracting the proton's mass from the atomic mass.
  • The magnetic field affects these subatomic particles, whereas an electric field has no influence on them. Its magnetic field is linked to the substructure of quarks and the charge's internal distribution.
  • Neutron is made up of three quarks, which are the fundamental particles that give neutron its magnetic properties.

The table below shows the important other characteristics related to Neutrons,

Symboln
NatureNeutral
Relative mass Equal to H atom         
Actual mass1.6 × 10-27 kg

Stability of Nucleus

The nucleus of an atom contains neutrons and protons which are combinedly and called nucleons. The nucleus has positively charged particles and protons which tend to repel each other but they reside inside the nucleus due to strong nuclear forces. the stability of neutrons is explained by strong nuclear forces.

A nucleus also has neutrons inside its nucleus and the ratio of protons and neutrons is close to 1:1 if the ratio changes the nucleus becomes unstable and radioactive decay occurs. Weak nuclear forces are responsible for this decay.

Elements having the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. Elements with a higher atomic number are radioactive in nature. i.e. their nucleus has radioactive decay.

Example: Hydrogen has three Isotopes and out of which two are radioactive.

The image given below shows the isophote of hydrogen. 

Isotope of Hydrogen

Also, Check

  • Structure of Nucleus
  • Nuclear Binding Energy
  • Atomic Structure

Solved Example on Neutrons

Example 1: Calculate the number of neutrons in the sodium atom.

Solution:

Atomic number of sodium (Na) is 11

Mass number of sodium is 23

Thus,

No. of neutrons = Mass Number − Atomic Number

                          = 23-11

                          = 12

Example 2: What is the atomic mass of Nitrogen? 

Solution:

Let the atomic mass of Nitrogen be a.

Thus,

No. of Neutrons =  Mass Number − Atomic Number

                       7 =  A - 7

                       A = 14

Hence, the Atomic Mass of nitrogen is 14.


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    Molecules are the smallest building blocks that form the matter around us. They are the simplest particles that carry the properties of matter. Molecules are joined together to form the Compound. A molecule is the smallest unit of matter formed by joining various atoms together whereas the compounds
    6 min read
    How to Calculate Valency of Radicals?
    To construct the formulas of ionic compounds, we must first understand the valencies of the positive and negative ions that combine to produce the ionic compounds. As a result, we'll start with ion valencies. The valency of an ion is equal to its charge. If an ion has one unit charge, its valency is
    5 min read
    What is the Significance of the Formula of a Substance?
    Everyone may think that if the atom is very tiny in size, what is its importance of it? So, this is because the entire world is made up of atoms and molecules. As known that one cannot see them with the naked eyes but they are always present around. They may be in the surrounding, substances that ev
    5 min read
    Gram Atomic and Gram Molecular Mass
    Avogadro's number is critical to understanding the structure of molecules as well as their interactions and combinations. e.g. because one atom of oxygen will combine with two atoms of hydrogen to form one molecule of water (H2O), one mole of oxygen (6.022 × 1023 of O atoms) will mix with two moles
    7 min read

    Chapter 4: Structure of the Atom

    Charged Particles in Matter
    Can we deduce from these actions that rubbing two items together causes them to become electrically charged? The presence of charged particles in an atom was discovered thanks to the efforts of many scientists. By 1900, it was established that the atom was an indivisible particle that contained at l
    8 min read
    What is Atom?
    Atoms are tiny particles that comprise all the things in the known universe. Atoms of an element are responsible for all chemical reactions occurring in nature. We know that atoms are made up of three fundamental particles namely, ElectronsProtonsNeutronsThese particles are also called subatomic par
    8 min read
    Thomson's Atomic Model
    Thomson's Atomic Model is one of the fundamental models of the atom that tries to explain the working and structure of the atom. this model was proposed by famous Scientist JJ Thomson in 1904. Thomson during his cathode ray experiment proved the existence of a negatively charged particle called elec
    6 min read
    Rutherford Atomic Model
    Rutherford Atomic Model was proposed by Ernest Rutherford in 1911. It is also called the Planetary Model of the Atom. It introduced the concept of a dense, positively charged nucleus at the center of an atom, with electrons orbiting around it, forming the basis for modern atomic theory. In this arti
    6 min read
    Drawbacks of Rutherford's Atomic Model
    In Rutherford's Model of the Atom, Rutherford performed an experiment based on that experiment some of the hypotheses are given. At that time those hypotheses are considered revolutionary as there was an experiment to back that hypothesis. But as the experiment performed by Rutherford is rudimentary
    10 min read
    Bohr's Model of an Atom
    Neil Bohr proposed the Bohr model and was based on the modification of Rutherford’s model of an atom. Rutherford's model introduced a nuclear model of an atom in which it was explained that the nucleus which is positively charged is surrounded by negatively charged particles called electrons. Bohr m
    7 min read
    Neutrons
    Neutrons are fundamental subatomic particles of the atom. An atom is made up of electrons, protons and neutrons. James Chadwick, an English physicist, discovered the neutron in 1932. Neutrons are particles with no charge and higher mass. They are represented by n. They reside inside the nucleus of t
    8 min read
    Valency
    Valency of an element is a measure of an atom's ability to combine with other atoms to create molecules or chemical compounds. The characteristics of an element that indicate how many more atoms can join one of its atoms in a covalent bond are known as valence, or valency, in chemistry. The term, wh
    9 min read
    Valence Electrons
    Any of the fundamental negatively charged particles in the outermost area of atoms that participate in the creation of chemical bonds are referred to as valence electrons. Changes in the atomic structure are confined to the outermost, or valence, electrons regardless of the kind of chemical connecti
    10 min read
    Mass Number
    Mass Number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons present in an atom. We know that an atom consists of electrons, protons, and neutrons but the mass of the atom is contributed by protons and neutrons as the mass of electrons is very low hence it doesn't contribute to the mass of an
    11 min read
    Relation Between Mass Number and Atomic Number
    Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of matter, and they may combine in a variety of ways to produce various substances. You must be aware that all atoms are made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons. But did you know that the presence of these subatomic particles may explain an element's pro
    8 min read
    Isobars
    Isobars are a group of elements that have the same mass number but different atomic numbers. In an isobar, we have different numbers of protons but the same number of nucleons, i.e. the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of isobars of the elements are the same. An example of is
    5 min read
    Why do all the Isotopes of an Element have similar Chemical Properties?
    The fundamental building units of matter are atoms and molecules. The existence of many types of matter is due to the various atoms that contain them. The atom was no longer seen as a simple, indivisible unit by 1900. It did, however, contain at least one subatomic particle, the electron. J.J. Thoms
    6 min read
    Why Isotopes have different Physical Properties?
    The atom is divided into two parts: the atomic structure and the extra nucleus. Positively charged protons and neutral neutrons make up the atomic structure. Electrons in the extra nucleus are negatively charged. Atoms, like all elements and compounds, have mass. Because of protons, the mass of an a
    5 min read
    What is Fractional Atomic Mass?
    The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons is called an atom. These are the atoms that make up an element. An element is a material with the same number of protons in all of its atoms. Protons, electr
    9 min read
    Radioactive Isotopes
    Radioactive Isotopes or Radioisotopes are the isotopes of the elements that are not stable, i.e. they emit some radiation and change the composition of their nucleus. Radioactive isotopes are defined as the isotopes of any chemical element that have different masses and unstable nuclei and release e
    8 min read
    Discovery of Electrons
    The basic idea of the discovery of the elementary particles was generated by Dalton's Atomic Theory. John Dalton in 1808 gave the first scientific theory about atoms, in which, he stated that atoms are the smallest particle of any matter. They are indivisible and indestructible. According to Dalton
    7 min read
    What is a Proton?
    Protons are the fundamental particles that reside inside the nucleus of any atom. They are the positive charge particle and are responsible for balancing the negative charge of the electron to make the atom electrically neutral. Proton was discovered by the famous scientist Ernest Rutherford. Atoms
    6 min read
    Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment
    Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment is the fundamental experiment done by Earnest Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment that gives the fundamental about the structure of the atom. Rutherford in his experiment directed high-energy streams of α-particles from a radioactive source at a thin she
    6 min read
    Atomic Nucleus
    The nucleus of an atom is a small, dense, round region located in the centre of an atom. It has two subatomic particles, protons and neutrons. Protons are electrically positively charged ions having a mass of approximately one atomic mass unit (amu). Neutrons are electrically neutral.The atomic nucl
    10 min read
    How did Neil Bohr explained the Stability of Atom?
    Bohr model of the atom was explained by Neil Bohr in 1915. It came into existence with the modification of Rutherford’s model of the atom. Rutherford’s model introduces the nuclear model of the atom, in which he explained that a nucleus (positively charged) is surrounded by negatively charged electr
    7 min read
    Electron Configuration
    Electron Configuration of an element tells us how electrons are filled inside various orbitals of the atom. The distribution of electrons inside various orbital of atoms is very useful in explaining various properties of the atoms and their combination with other atoms. The electron configuration of
    8 min read
    Potassium and Calcium - Atomic Structure, Chemical Properties, Uses
    An atom is the smallest part of an element or compound that takes part in a chemical reaction. They are made of tiny particles known as protons, neutrons, and electrons. The Greek philosopher Democritus was the first person to use the term atom. The structure of the atom was discovered by John Dalto
    8 min read
    Noble Gas
    Inert gases are chemically unreactive. Noble gases, also termed inert gases are group 0 elements. There are six types of noble gases, helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radioactive radon (Rn). The noble gases are the type of elements belonging to group 18. Under standa
    4 min read
    What is meant by Chemical Combination?
    The composition of an element's nucleus and the arrangement of electrons around it are referred to as its atomic structure. Protons, electrons, and neutrons are the building blocks of matter's atomic structure. The nucleus of the atom is made up of protons and neutrons, which is surrounded by the at
    6 min read
    Difference between Electrovalency and Covalency
    We're all familiar with how electrons in an atom are organised into orbitals or shells. Valence electrons are the electrons that exist in the atom's outermost orbit. According to the Bohr-bury theory, the outermost shell may hold a maximum of 8 electrons. When the outermost shell is entirely filled,
    8 min read
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