James Chadwick’s Early Life and Education
Where was Sir James Chadwick born?
England (Manchester, 1891)
In what year did Chadwick discover the neutron?
1932
What major world event interrupted Chadwick's early career?
World War 1
Which Nobel Prize did Chadwick win?
The Nobel Prize in Physics
What is James Chadwick most famous for?
Discovering the neutron
Which famous scientist was his mentor?
Ernest Rutherford
What particle did Chadwick discover inside the nucleus?
The neutron
What happened to Chadwick during WW1
He was captured and held as a prisoner of war
In what year did he win the Nobel Prize?
1935
During World War 1, Chadwick was captured. What unusual place did he set up a small lab while being held as a prisoner?
Inside the prison camp
What subject did Chadwick first study at university?
Physics
Why was the neutron's discovery important?
It explained isotopes and completed the nuclear model of the atom
Why was it difficult to prove the neutron existed?
It has no electric charge so it was hard to detect
What was the Nobel Prize awarded for?
The discovery of the neutron
What did Chadwick's discovery help explain about atoms?
Why atoms of the same element can have different masses (isotopes)
In which country was Chadwick held as a prisoner of war during World War 1?
Germany
What experiment did Chadwick use to prove the neutron's existence?
Bombarding beryllium with alpha particles
What earlier atomic model did Chadwick's discovery help disprove?
The idea that the nucleus only contained protons
What special honor did Chadwick receive from the British government after World War 2?
He was knighted in 1945, becoming Sir James Chadwick
What country did James Chadwick represent when he won the Nobel prize?
The United Kingdom (Britain)
That the nucleus contains protons and neutrons of nearly equal mass, with electrons orbiting outside
How did Chadwick's discovery of the neutron help establish the nuclear structure of the atom?
It showed that the nucleus is made of both protons and neutrons of nearly equal mass, not just protons
What was one scientific challenge Chadwick faced after his discovery?
Convincing other scientists that the neutron was real
Where was James Chadwick buried?
Cambridge, England
How did Chadwick's discovery change the world beyond science?
It made nuclear power and nuclear weapons possible