"he proved the existence of neutrons - elementary particles devoid of any electrical charge. In contrast with the helium nuclei (alpha rays) which are charged, and therefore repelled by the considerable electrical forces present in the nuclei of heavy atoms, this new tool in atomic disintegration need not overcome any electric barrier and is capable of penetrating and splitting the nuclei of even the heaviest elements."
I read this over and over again but, i'm so confused as to what this paragrah about neutrons is saying. Can someone please help? I know its really long so thank you in advance!
Since they are neutral, neutrons are not effected by either positive or negative charges, so they can be used to split the nuclei of heavy atoms.
thank you!!!!
Of course, I can help you understand the paragraph about neutrons. Let's break it down into simpler terms:
The paragraph is talking about the discovery of neutrons, which are elementary particles that don't have any electrical charge. This means they are electrically neutral.
In contrast to helium nuclei (alpha rays), which are charged particles and are repelled by the strong electrical forces present in the heavy atoms' nuclei, neutrons are different. They don't experience any electric repulsion because they are neutral.
This property of neutrons gives them an advantage in atomic disintegration. Neutrons can penetrate and split the nuclei of even the heaviest elements without needing to overcome any electric barriers. In simpler terms, neutrons can easily enter the nuclei of atoms and break them apart, regardless of how heavy the atom is.
The paragraph is emphasizing that the discovery of neutrons was important because they can be used as a tool for studying and understanding atomic structures and reactions, without being hindered by electric forces.