Question:

Neutron was discovered by

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A neutron is a subatomic particle with zero charge and mass almost equal to the mass of proton. 

Updated On: Feb 9, 2023
  • Chadwick
  • Rutherford
  • Yukawa
  • Dalton.
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The Correct Option is A

Approach Solution - 1

Neutron was discovered by Chadwick.

  • Rutherford, in 1920 proposed the existence of a neutral particle made from a close combination of proton and electron to overcome the failure of the proton-electron hypothesis. 
  • This particle was named neutron.
  • In 1932, Lord Chadwick proved the existence of neutrons by bombarding lighter elements (boron and beryllium) with alpha particles which resulted in the emission of highly penetrating neutral radiation.
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Approach Solution -2

A neutron is a very tiny particle that is like protons and electrons except they don't possess any charge. The British physicist, James Chadwick, discovered neutrons in 1932.

Complete answer:

  • James Chadwick discovered neutrons in May 1932. 
  • After experimenting for 2 weeks, he published a paper titled, "The Possible Existence of a Neutron", which had evidence that favoured the possibility of a neutron rather than gamma-ray photons.
  • In 1920, Rutherford, who discovered the atomic nucleus and observed proton, proposed the combination of electron and proton to form a new and neutral particle, but he failed to provide any evidence related to this.
  • The discovery of Neutron changed the view of the atom and Chadwick was awarded Nobel Prize in 1935 for his amazing discovery of a Neutron.

Note: A neutron is a neutral particle which is a constituent of every atomic nucleus except hydrogen. It has no electric charge and has a mass of 1.67493 X 10−27 kg which is greater than a proton.

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Approach Solution -3

A neutron is a subatomic particle with zero charge and mass almost equal to the mass of proton. 

James Chadwick, a British physicist, discovered the neutron in 1932. He discovered it while working on the discovery of the atomic nucleus

  • He bombarded beryllium with alpha particles from a radioactive source and noticed that an uncharged particle was released from the beryllium atom. 
  • This particle was named the neutron because it had no charge, and was therefore neutral.
  • Chadwick's discovery was a major breakthrough in the field of atomic physics.
  • It helped to explain the structure of the atomic nucleus. 
  • The discovery of the neutron showed that the atomic nucleus was composed of positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons, which gave the nucleus its stability. 

Chadwick was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935 for his discovery of the neutron. The discovery of the neutron revolutionized our understanding of the atomic structure.

Who discovered Neutron?

Neutron was discovered in the year 1932 by Chadwick.

Hence, option A) is the correct answer.

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Concepts Used:

Structure of Atom

Atomic Structure:

The atomic structure of an element refers to the constitution of its nucleus and the arrangement of the electrons around it. Primarily, the atomic structure of matter is made up of protons, electrons and neutrons.

Dalton’s Atomic Theory

Dalton proposed that every matter is composed of atoms that are indivisible and indestructible. 

The following are the postulates of his theory:

  • Every matter is made up of atoms.
  • Atoms are indivisible.
  • Specific elements have only one type of atoms in them.
  • Each atom has its own constant mass that varies from element to element.
  • Atoms undergo rearrangement during a chemical reaction.
  • Atoms can neither be created nor be destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another.

Cons of Dalton’s Atomic Theory

  • The theory was unable to explain the existence of isotopes.
  • Nothing about the structure of atom was appropriately explained.
  • Later, the scientists discovered particles inside the atom that proved, the atoms are divisible.

​​Subatomic Particles

  1. Protons - are positively charged subatomic particles.
  2. Electron - are negatively  charged subatomic particles.
  3. Neutrons - are electrically neutral particles and carry no charge

Atomic Structure of Isotopes

Several atomic structures of an element can exist, which differ in the total number of nucleons.These variants of elements having a different nucleon number (also known as the mass number) are called isotopes of the element. Therefore, the isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons.  For example, there exist three known naturally occurring isotopes of hydrogen, namely, protium, deuterium, and tritium.