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Multiple Choice

Which statement about a neutron is true?

Neutrons are electrically neutral, meaning they have no net electric charge. This neutrality comes from their quark makeup: two down quarks (each contributing -1/3) and one up quark (contributing +2/3) sum to zero (-1/3 -1/3 +2/3 = 0). This is in contrast to protons, which are positively charged, and electrons, which are negatively charged. The charge is a fundamental property and does not depend on the neutron’s energy state, so a neutron remains electrically neutral regardless of its energy.

Neutrons are electrically neutral, meaning they have no net electric charge. This neutrality comes from their quark makeup: two down quarks (each contributing -1/3) and one up quark (contributing +2/3) sum to zero (-1/3 -1/3 +2/3 = 0). This is in contrast to protons, which are positively charged, and electrons, which are negatively charged. The charge is a fundamental property and does not depend on the neutron’s energy state, so a neutron remains electrically neutral regardless of its energy.