A free neutron decays to a proton but a free proton does not decay to a neutron. This is because

Options

A. neutron is a composite particle made of a proton and an electron whereas proton is fundamental particle
B. neutron is an uncharged particle whereas proton is a charge particle
C. neutron has large mass than proton
D. weak forces can operate in a neutron but not in a proton

Answer

C

Explanation

As a proton is lighter than a neutron, proton can not be converted into neutron without providing energy from outside. Reverse is possible. The weak interaction force is responsible in both the process (i) conversion of `p` to `n` and (ii) conversion of `n` to p p