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The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol n or n 0, that has no electric charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton.Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms.
Protons define the entire charge of a nucleus, and hence its chemical identity. Neutrons are electrically neutral, but contribute to the mass of a nucleus to nearly the same extent as the protons. Neutrons can explain the phenomenon of isotopes (same atomic number with different atomic mass). The main role of neutrons is to reduce electrostatic ...
There are two types of quarks in atoms, each having a fractional electric charge. Protons are composed of two up quarks (each with charge + 2 / 3 ) and one down quark (with a charge of − 1 / 3 ). Neutrons consist of one up quark and two down quarks. This distinction accounts for the difference in mass and charge between the two ...
Electric charge (symbol q, sometimes Q) is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Electric charge can be positive or negative. Like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract each other. An object with no net charge is referred to as electrically neutral.
The atomic number or nuclear charge number (symbol Z) of a chemical element is the charge number of its atomic nucleus. For ordinary nuclei composed of protons and neutrons, this is equal to the proton number (n p) or the number of protons found in the nucleus of every atom of that element.
Since the atomic number of hydrogen is 1, a hydrogen ion has no electrons and corresponds to a bare nucleus, consisting of a proton (and 0 neutrons for the most abundant isotope protium 1 1 H). The proton is a "bare charge" with only about 1/64,000 of the radius of a hydrogen atom, and so is extremely reactive chemically.
Neutrons, on the other hand, have no electric charge to cause repulsion, and are able to initiate a nuclear reaction at very low energies. In fact, at extremely low particle energies (corresponding, say, to thermal equilibrium at room temperature ), the neutron's de Broglie wavelength is greatly increased, possibly greatly increasing its ...
In nuclear physics and particle physics, the strong interaction, also called the strong force or strong nuclear force, is a fundamental interaction that confines quarks into protons, neutrons, and other hadron particles. The strong interaction also binds neutrons and protons to create atomic nuclei, where it is called the nuclear force.