7.
The nuclear bomb
Neutrons
are very penetrating because they are uncharged. This
makes them very useful to nuclear physicists, as they
can be fired into the nucleus without being repelled
like the proton. A neutron can even be made to stop
inside a nucleus, transforming elements into more massive
types.
This
understanding of the neutron allowed scientists to develop
nuclear power, and nuclear weapons during the Second
World War. Chadwick helped in the theory behind the
first nuclear bombs, and used a particle accelerator
in Liverpool to show that it is possible to construct
them with only a few kilograms of uranium.
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