How to explain neutron to a ten years old?

2023 Jan 13

A neutron is a tiny particle that is found inside atoms. Atoms are the building blocks of everything around us, including the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the things we see and touch. Neutrons help hold atoms together, and they also play a role in how atoms behave and interact with each other. Think of them like the “glue” that holds atoms together.

Imagine an atom is like a tiny city. Just like a city has houses and buildings, an atom has smaller parts called protons and electrons. The protons are like the people living in the houses, and the electrons are like the cars driving around the city. The neutron is like a special kind of worker in the city. They help hold the houses and buildings together, just like how they help hold the protons and electrons together in an atom.

You can think of it as a bouncer in a club, it keep the protons and electrons together and make sure they don’t fly apart.

Neutrons are also important because they can change the way atoms behave. For example, if we take an atom of carbon, which is an atom that is made up of 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons. If we change the number of neutrons in that carbon atom, it becomes a different kind of atom called a isotope. Some isotopes are stable, some are radioactive.

So, in short, neutrons are tiny particles found inside atoms that help hold atoms together and also play a role in how atoms behave and interact with each other.