A tiny particle found in the nucleus of an atom that has no electric charge. Along with protons, it makes up most of the atom’s mass.
From 'neutral' + '-on', a suffix used for particles, because the particle has no electrical charge. It was named after its discovery in 1932.
Neutrons are neutral, but they’re not harmless: in nuclear reactors and bombs, streams of neutrons drive the chain reactions. The balance between neutrons and protons in a nucleus helps decide whether an atom is stable or radioactive.
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