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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Honestly, for an ELI5 answer, yours isn’t bad. The only thing I’d add is that the number of neutrons doesn’t exactly have to match the number of protons. Atoms are just more stable that way, generally.
Usually, an atom will have the same number of protons, neutrons, and electrons, but not always.
# of protons tells you what element it is.
A different number of neutrons results in an isotope.
A different number of electrons results in an ion.
Because electrons are so incredibly tiny, changing the amount of them really only affects the charge of an atom, which changes how it bonds and interacts with other atoms. However, because nearly all of the mass of an atom is in its protons and neutrons, changing the amount of neutrons will actually change the properties of the atom
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