02/1932 AD discovered
The neutron is discovered by Chadwick at the Cavendish Laboratory in February. Two months later, his Cavendish colleagues John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton split lithium atoms with accelerated protons.
Chadwick conducted an experiment in which he bombarded Beryllium with alpha particles from the natural radioactive decay of Polonium. The resulting radiation showed high penetration through a lead shield, which could not be explained via the particles known at that time.
With the postulate of an uncharged (neutral) particle, of about the same weight as a proton, however, Chadwick's interpretation problems disappeared quite naturally. Thus, his results could be explained within the known laws of nature, in particular with regard to energy and momentum conservation.
Subjects Who or What discovered?
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James Chadwick English physicist who wa...
Objects To Whom or What was discovered?
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neutron The neutron is a subatom...
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