Discovery of neutron


 The story begins in 1932, with the discovery of the neutron by Sir James Chadwick, an English physicist. Until 1932, the atom was known to consist of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by enough negatively charged electrons to make the atom electrically neutral. Most of the atom was empty space, with its mass concentrated in a tiny nucleus. The nucleus was thought to contain both protons and electrons because the proton (otherwise known as the hydrogen ion, H+) was the lightest known nucleus and because electrons were emitted by the nucleus in beta decay. In addition to the beta particles, certain radioactive nuclei emitted positively charged alpha particles and neutral gamma radiation.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize🧪🧑‍🔬 in Physics in 1935 for this discovery. Chadwick's experiment involved bombarding beryllium with alpha particles from polonium. This resulted in the production of an uncharged, penetrating radiation, which he identified as neutrons. 

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