Did You Know the Neutron Was Discovered by James Chadwick?

💡 The Answer

• In 1932, James Chadwick bombarded beryllium with alpha particles and observed neutral radiation.
• He identified this radiation as neutrons, particles with mass similar to protons but no electric charge.
• The discovery explained why atomic masses were greater than the number of protons.
• Neutrons enable nuclear fission by being absorbed without electrostatic repulsion, starting chain reactions.