Question

Write a short note on the discovery of neutrons.

Answer 1

Neutron is a subatomic particle represented by the symbol n or . Neutrons do not carry any charge, they are neutral in nature and the mass of neutrons is slightly greater than the mass of protons. Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms i.e. they lie in between the nuclei of atoms.

Complete step by step answer:
Neutrons discovered in the year 1930 by the German nuclear physicists Herbert Becker and Walther Bothe and he observed that a penetrating form of radiation was produced when the alpha particles emitted by polonium was incident on relatively light elements for example lithium, beryllium, and boron. This penetrating radiation was unaffected by electric fields and these radiations were assumed to be gamma radiation.
Then later in the year 1932 the French scientists Frederic Joliot-Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie observed that this unusually penetrating radiation when incident on paraffin wax or any other compounds which are rich in hydrogen caused the ejection of high energy protons and the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana suggested that there exist a neutral particle in the nucleus of the atom which was responsible for this manner in which the radiation interacted with protons.
There is one other scientist named Ernest Rutherford who also discovered the presence of neutral particles in the nuclei of atoms in the year 1920. He tells us that a neutrally charged particle consisting of a proton and an electron bound to each other and they also lies inside the nuclei of atoms. He mentioned the term neutron to refer to these neutrally charged particles.

Note: Protons are positively charged atoms and the discovery of the proton is done by the scientist named Ernest Rutherford who proved that the nucleus of the hydrogen atom i.e. a proton is present in the nuclei of all other atoms in the year 1917.