Some of my students were grumbling today because they had to figure out how many neutrons were in the nucleus of Tungston (W-74). The conversation went something like this: "I hate neutrons! Why are their neutrons?" Well, it turns out neutrons are really important, they really do have a job in the nucleus with the proton. This is because protons have positive charges and the only reason that they are willing to stay together in the nucleus is because the neutrons effectively act as "filters" for these positive charges by interacting with the protons themselves. Neutrons are found only in the nucleus of the atom, where they play an important role in keeping the atom stable. Since protons are positively charged, there is an incredibly strong repulsive force between all the protons in a nucleus. You know how you get repulsed by things, baby puke, brussell sprouts, too much homework? If you are repulsed you try to stay away from it. In the tight little nucleus that wouldn't work if there were only protons repulsed by each other... Every piece of an atom has huge importance to the way the atom acts and behaves. Neutrons are no exception. So, what keeps protons in the nucleus? There is another force apart from the electric force, called the strong nuclear force. The strong nuclear force between two protons is attractive. For atoms with many protons, however, the electric repulsive forces between protons are significant - actually too big for the atom's nucleus to remain together, even taking into account the nuclear attractive force between the protons. This is where neutrons come in. Neutrons have no electrical charge, and so neither attract nor repel each other electrically. But they do feel the strong nuclear force, just like protons. And protons are attracted to neutrons via the strong force, just as they are attracted to other protons. So, having neutrons in the nucleus creates "extra" attractive force for the nucleus, while not adding to the repulsive forces in the nucleus due to electric repulsion. What? Did you just read about the "strong force" again??? Not all atoms need neutrons --- the hydrogen atom has no neutrons...
So the neutron is kind of like that "go-to"friend, the one that isn't to loud, likes to hang out, they are comfortable to be around and just do nothing with and still have fun. They are the "stable" force in your life. All matter needs a neutron.
5 Comments
AIDAN
1/5/2018 01:29:40 pm
WHATARETHOSE
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Ben
1/5/2018 02:16:57 pm
I have an amazing surprise you might never guess correctly it feels so weird but now I’ll be just like Conner
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Sadie
1/7/2018 07:01:03 pm
Good job on the blog today Mrs. Taylor!!!
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Kimberley Jones
2/11/2019 08:10:17 pm
Tungsten. late 18th century: from Swedish, from tung ‘heavy’ + sten ‘stone’.
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DAMITRIOUS
6/7/2022 06:46:53 pm
you did good
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |