neutron
Other forms: neutrons
The nucleus of an atom includes a proton, which has a positive charge, and a neutron, which has no charge, or is "neutral." The hydrogen atom is the only atom without a neutron.
The basis for the word neutron is both "neutral" and the suffix "-on," which probably comes from the Greek ión, "to go." The word ion first appeared in English in 1834, and neutron appeared in 1921, to represent the neutral part of an atom. Don't let the "neutral" part fool you, though — a neutron bomb, while "smaller" than other nuclear weapons, is still capable of mass destruction, as it emits more radiation, causing a wider sweep of damage to life.
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a subatomic particle with 0 charge and mass about equal to a proton; enters into the structure of the atomic nucleustype of:nucleona constituent (proton or neutron) of an atomic nucleus
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Vocabulary lists containing neutron
Even though atoms and their component parts are incredibly tiny, it's impossible to understand the biggest things in the universe —stars, nebulas, and galaxies — without knowing how these invisible particles behave and interact. Up and atom!
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