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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Atoms are constantly under two forces, the strong nuclear force and electromagnetic force
The strong nuclear force holds atoms together but has weak range and is a strong force
The electromagnetic is a weaker force but with higher range
Neutrons are used as packing material between protons, so the protons don’t repeal each other as much
For elements 1-20 (calcium), the most stable configuration is 1 neutron for every proton, however after calcium you start having issues which changes the most stable configuration to more neutrons than protons
If there’s not enough or too much packing material the electromagnetic force is strong to rip the atom apart, this is also what limits the size of atoms since the strong nuclear force has much smaller ranger than the electromagnetic force does
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