Neutron

Let's talk about a very tiny but very important part of every atom - the neutron. Every atom (except for the most common type of hydrogen) has neutrons. What makes neutrons special is that they don't have any electric charge - they're neutral, hence their name.

In our world, everything is made of matter, and one key ingredient in matter is the proton. These protons are in the center of an atom, and they decide what kind of atom we're dealing with - whether it's oxygen, iron, carbon, or any other kind of atom.

Even though they're neutral and don't have a charge, neutrons are super important for keeping the atom together. Imagine trying to hold two magnets together with the same sides facing each other - they'd push each other apart, right?

The same thing happens with protons, they're all positively charged and try to push each other apart. But this is where our friend the neutron steps in - it helps hold these protons together in the nucleus and keep the atom from falling apart.

In addition to that, the number of neutrons in an atom helps decide the type or "isotope" of an element. This might sound complicated, but basically, it means that neutrons help give an element its unique properties.

So, even though neutrons might seem less exciting because they're neutral, they actually have a big job to do. They help keep atoms stable and make different elements act the way they do. They're a big deal in science fields like nuclear physics and are used in real-life applications like medicine and producing energy.