Notions of a Neutron
David L. Bergman
Keywords: Neutron models, no net charge, mass
Neutrons are vitally important for predicting the basic properties of atoms, and a realistic model (see Figure 1) has long been a major goal of physics. This ?gtiny, uncharged bit of matter?h explains so much about atoms that neutrons were invented without the experimental evidence that proved their existence. Even an elementary knowledge of a neutron?fs most prominent properties??mass without charge??gave promise of solving many puzzles in the theory of atoms:
