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NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
Neutrons are the particles on an atom that have a neutral charge. They aren't positive like protons. They aren't negative like electrons. But don't start thinking that they aren't important. Every piece of an atom has huge importance to the way the atom acts and behaves. Neutrons are no exception.
So if an atom has equal numbers of electrons and protons, the charges cancel each other out and the atom has a neutral charge. You could add a thousand neutrons into the mix and the charge will not change. However, if you add a thousand neutrons you will be creating one super-radioactive atom. Neutrons play a major role in the mass and radioactive properties of atoms. You may have just read about isotopes. Isotopes are created when you change the normal number of neutrons in an atom. 
You know that neutrons are found in the nucleus of an atom. During radioactive decay, they may be knocked out of there. But under normal conditions, protons and neutrons stick together in the nucleus. Their numbers are able to change the mass of atoms because they weigh about as much as a proton and electron together.
ONE SPECIAL ELEMENTDid we say that all atoms have neutrons? Ooops. All elements have atoms with neutrons except for one. A normal hydrogen (H) atom does not have any neutrons in its tiny nucleus. That tiny little atom (the tiniest of all) has only one electron and one proton. You can take away the electron and make an ion, but you can't take away any neutrons. That special structure becomes very important when you learn how hydrogen interacts with other elements in the periodic table.
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Go for site help or a list of chemistry topics at the site map!©copyright 1997-2007 Andrew Rader Studios, All rights reserved. Current Page: Chem4Kids.com | Atoms | Neutrons |
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