neutron

[ noo-tron, nyoo- ]

noun

, Physics.

1. an elementary particle having no charge, mass slightly greater than that of a proton, and spin of ½: a constituent of the nuclei of all atoms except those of hydrogen. : n

neutron

/ ˈnjuːtrɒn /

noun

1. physics a neutral elementary particle with a rest mass of 1.674 92716 × 10 ^–27kilogram and spin 1 2 ; classified as a baryon. In the nucleus of an atom it is stable, but when free it decays

neutron

/ no̅o̅′trŏn′ /

1. An electrically neutral subatomic particle in the baryon family, having a mass of 1.674 × 10 ^-24 grams (1,838 times that of the electron and slightly greater than that of the proton). Neutrons are part of the nucleus of all atoms, except hydrogen, and have a mean lifetime of approximately 1.0×10 ³ seconds as free particles. They consist of a triplet of quarks, including two down quarks and one up quark, bound together by gluons. In radioactive atoms, excess neutrons are converted to protons by beta decay. Beams of neutrons from nuclear reactors are used to bombard the atoms of various elements to produce fission and other nuclear reactions and to determine the atomic arrangements in molecules.
2. See Table at subatomic particle

neutron

1. An elementary particle without an electrical charge ; one of the building blocks of the nucleus of the atom . A neutron has about the same mass as a proton .

Word History and Origins

Origin of neutron¹

First recorded in 1920–25; neutr(o)- + -on ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of neutron¹

C20: from neutral , on the model of electron

Example Sentences

Over the following years, the neutron star and its companion appeared to be getting closer together by the distance that would be expected if they were losing energy to gravitational waves.

From Science News

Later, Rutherford demonstrated the transmutation of one element to another and predicted the existence of a new subatomic particle, the neutron.

From Science News

The different “kinds” of carbon are categorized by how much they weigh — some atoms have more neutrons than others, meaning they quite literally weigh more.

From Voice of San Diego

That light was 10 times as bright as infrared light seen in previous neutron star mergers.

From Science News

Researchers compared rubidium atoms of two different isotopes, atoms that contain different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.

From Science News

Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen containing a proton and neutron in its nucleus, while normal hydrogen has only a proton.

From The Daily Beast

You have the atom, which has the neutron, the electron, the proton.

From The Daily Beast

While every neutron star has an intense magnetic field, the ones known as magnetars are exceptional.

From The Daily Beast

For that reason, such objects are called pulsars, and they have provided our best data about neutron stars.

From The Daily Beast

The pulses are from a beam of light produced by the intense magnetic field, which sweeps across Earth as the neutron star rotates.

From The Daily Beast

The actual limit is when the star has reached the density of a neutron, and this star hasn't collapsed that far by a long shot.

From Project Gutenberg

A neutron moderator slows down the neutrons and thus makes them more likely to activate the calcium in the bones.

From Project Gutenberg

Each extra neutron produces two and your production rate soars geometrically towards bang.

From Project Gutenberg

The handcuffs fell from the "prisoner's" wrists; he jerked a neutron-disruption blaster from under his jacket.

From Project Gutenberg

As he watched, the air around it fairly sizzled blue with the rays of neutron disruption blasters, and then it blew apart.

From Project Gutenberg