Understanding Neutron Kinetic and Potential Energy

[dschmidt12]

I've never really understood how a bound neutron can have a kinetic energy and potential energy associated with it. Further, I'm not sure that I quite understand what the potential energy of a free neutron means. I know that these questions might be rather elementary, but when I stopped to think about what these concepts actually meant, I wasn't sure I quite understood. Thanks to anyone who can explain!

 

[fatra2]

Hi there,

Don't think I understand your question completely!

A bound neutron, by the meaning of bound, must have potential energy. A neutron bound to a nucleus is under the influence of the strong nuclear interaction. Therefore, when or if the nucleus desintegrate, the neutron is "shot" out of the region with some kinetic energy.

Cheers

 

[Vanadium 50]

Let's start from the start. Why is a neutron different from any other object? As an example, the moon has kinetic energy, it has gravitational potential energy, and it's bound to the earth. A passing asteroid also has kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy, even though it's not bound to the earth.

What do you see is different for neutrons?