Many stable atoms have ‘magic numbers’ of protons and neutrons − 75 years ago two physicists discovered their special properties
The word magic is not often used in the context of science. But in the early 1930s, scientists discovered that some atomic nuclei – the central part of atoms, which make up all matter – were more stable than others. These nuclei had specific numbers of protons or neutrons, or magic numbers, as physicist Eugene … Read more