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JEE Main202331 Jan 2023Morning ShiftPhysicsNuclear PhysicsActual

A free neutron decays into a proton but a free proton does not decay into neutron. This is because

Options

  1. Aneutron is an uncharged particle
  2. Bproton is a charged particle
  3. Cneutron is a composite particle made of a proton and an electron
  4. Dneutron has larger rest mass than proton

Correct answer

D. neutron has larger rest mass than proton

Step-by-step solution

Mass of the neutron is m n = 1 . 67493 × 10 - 27   kg , mass of the proton is m p = 1 . 67262 × 10 - 27   kg . Proton's rest mass is less than that of a neutron's rest mass. As particle can not decay to a state of greater mass, hence the proton does not decay to neutron outside nucleus whereas the neutron can decay into a proton though β -decay.

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