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ovais
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My book says that a free neutron, unlike a free proton is unstable. It decays into proton, electron and a antineutrino, and has half life of about 1000s.
I do not understand how a single particle can have something called half life. I am finding difficulty to think of a proton being reduced in mass with time and it takes some time like 1000 second to become half!
For me the moment neutron losses any of its properties( mass etc) it no more remains a neutron. I mean a single particle should simply be either exist or converted into something. I am unable to think what it actually would mean when they say it's half like is 1000s.
Thank a bunch.
Regards
I do not understand how a single particle can have something called half life. I am finding difficulty to think of a proton being reduced in mass with time and it takes some time like 1000 second to become half!
For me the moment neutron losses any of its properties( mass etc) it no more remains a neutron. I mean a single particle should simply be either exist or converted into something. I am unable to think what it actually would mean when they say it's half like is 1000s.
Thank a bunch.
Regards