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Whose discovery was the neutron?

ScienceHistory

Quick Answer

The neutron was discovered in 1932 by the British physicist James Chadwick, who identified a neutral particle inside the atomic nucleus.

The Full Story

In 1932 James Chadwick, working at the Cavendish Laboratory, discovered the neutron, a particle with no electric charge found in the nucleus of atoms. He interpreted puzzling radiation from beryllium as being caused by neutral particles with a mass similar to the proton. The discovery completed the basic picture of the atom as a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons. Neutrons proved crucial for nuclear physics, because they can enter nuclei easily and trigger reactions such as nuclear fission. Chadwick was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935.

Key Facts

1.James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932.
2.The neutron has no electric charge.
3.He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The Neutral Particle — Discovering the Neutron"