Can neutrons be divided into protons and electrons?

Answer 1

Yes. We can (and do) smash protons. We can slam them into each other or we can slam protons into antiprotons. Big accelerators do this kind of work. The protons will break up, but the things that we get vary as the type of collisions (and the energies) involved in the smashing project. A proton is composed of two up quarks and a down quark, and a neutron is composed of two down quarks and an up quark. The neutron is unstable outside of a nucleus. It has a half-life of a bit under 886 seconds. That's about 14.8 minutes, roughly. When a free neutron decays, it decays into a proton, an electron and an electron antineutrino.

Answer 2

Up and down quarks. Neutrons are unstable and decay with a halflife of about 13 minutes... when not in a nucleus. Protons are very stable, and are expected to never decay (unless smashed into by something very energetic).

Answer 3

• Yes, a neutron actually comprises of a proton and an electron.
• Therefore a proton's mass is almost equal to a neutron's mass because electron's mass is considered nill generally.
• a neutron has no charge because the positive charge(proton) and the negative charge (electron) cancel out each other.
• to form a neutron a proton and an electron is forcefully combined

Answer 4

yes

Neutrons can and do decay into a proton, an electron, and an anti-neutrino. This process is known (for historical reasons) as beta decay.

Although this process occurs in nature, we are unaware of any process, natural or artificial, that would alter the rate of this decay. Thus, atomic decay (such as beta) is a useful means of dating a substance.

Answer 5

Atoms can be broken down into their component parts when enough heat is applied. This turns the atom into a plasma state with free floating electrons, protons and neutrons.

Answer 6

Yes. But that could cause an explosion :) Yes. But that could cause an explosion :)

Answer 7

if you mean broke down as in cut then no........

Answer 8

No, it is not possible for a neutron to become an electron nor a proton. They are what they are and stay that way.

Answer 9

protons can be broken down to quarts.