Which symbol represents a particle that has a mass approximately equal to the mass of a neutron?

• A. n
• B. α
• C. p
• D. e

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the particles listed: 'n' stands for neutron, 'α' represents an alpha particle, 'p' is a proton, and 'e' is an electron.
2. Recall the approximate masses of these particles: a neutron and a proton each have a mass close to 1 atomic mass unit (amu), while an electron's mass is much smaller (about 1/1836 of a proton).
3. Understand that an alpha particle (α) consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons, so its mass is roughly 4 amu, which is significantly larger than a single neutron.
4. Since the question asks for a particle with mass approximately equal to a neutron, compare the proton and neutron masses, which are nearly the same.
5. Conclude that the symbol 'p' (proton) represents a particle with mass approximately equal to that of a neutron.