Question

Who discovered the neutron? Why was the discovery of the neutron difficult?

a) John Dalton discovered the neutron. The discovery was challenging because of its small size.
b) JJ Thomson discovered the neutron. The discovery was difficult due to the lack of advanced technology.
c) Ernest Rutherford discovered the neutron. The discovery was challenging because neutrons have no charge.
d) James Chadwick discovered the neutron. The discovery was difficult because neutrons are electrically neutral.

Answer 1

James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932, and the discovery was difficult because neutrons are electrically neutral, making them hard to detect. (Option D).

Step-by-step explanation:

The discovery of the neutron was made by James Chadwick in 1932. This discovery was difficult due to the fact that neutrons are electrically neutral, which makes them much more challenging to detect compared to charged particles like protons and electrons.

Atoms consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons; protons and neutrons form the atomic nucleus, which carries almost all of an atom's mass, while electrons orbit this nucleus.

Neutrons play a crucial role in providing stability to the nucleus by mitigating the repulsive forces between protons. The existence of neutrons also explains the phenomenon of isotopes, which are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons, hence different masses. (Option D).