Why is it that we find no free (unbound) neutrons floating around in the universe today, whereas free protons and electrons exist in profusion?
A)Free neutrons decay spontaneously to produce protons, electrons, and neutrinos.
B)The free neutrons interact quickly with the free electrons to produce antiprotons, so there are few neutrons left.
C)The original Big Bang produced only charged particles; hence neutrons were not produced, and those that now exist in the nuclei of atoms have come from proton decay.
D)Free neutrons react readily with free protons to produce high-energy photons, or γ radiation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Free neutrons are unstable and decay into protons, electrons, and neutrinos with a half-life of about 15 minutes. This means that in a short amount of time, any free neutrons will decay into other particles, making them difficult to detect as free neutrons in the universe.

Why Is It That We Find No Free (Unbound) Neutrons