I’m trying to simply things in dummy terms so I remember it easier rather than memorizing a definition I want to understand it on a basic level. A Neutron is an uncharged elementary particle that equals a protons mass in a nucleus this stabilizing it, I also know that in an atom there has to be equal amounts of neutrons and protons, and that the neutrons act as a sort of binder, so what sort of analogy or explanation could be used to describe it? Does a Neutron sort of act like the Mortar for a Brick Structure? Or like the glue that keeps protons from falling apart?
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I can’t offer a full explanation but I will say that the amount of protons and neutrons does not have to be the same. For an atom to be neutral (ie not an ion) it has to have equal amounts of electrons and protons, but since neutrons don’t have any charge they won’t affect the atom in the same way.
The same atom with different amounts of neutrons is called an isotope, some examples of these are carbon-14 and uranium-235. The numbers after the name in this case tells you the amount of neutrons that are in the atoms nucleus.
More neutrons = more mass and it can make the atom more or less stable. (Atoms with obscene amounts of neutrons will fall apart, which is what causes radiation). Different amounts of neutrons however will not change the fundamental characteristics of the atom in question. So no matter how many neutrons you slap on to an atom it will remain the same element with the same properties
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