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When a free neutron (as an example) decays is that due perhaps to expending energy or is it because neutrons have some internal state which changes and sometimes that change results in decay?

In the former case, all neutrons will decay within some time limit while in the latter case, there is some chance a given neutron will not have decayed for any chosen time.

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    $\begingroup$ It is a half-life, just like other decay half-lives. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented May 15 at 13:43
  • $\begingroup$ @JonCuster: in the case of any particle which decays, just what is happening? Is an older free neutron measurably different than a newer one? $\endgroup$
    – releseabe
    Commented May 16 at 0:37
  • $\begingroup$ Not at all. In a given time frame there is a chance of it decaying. In the next time frame it has that same chance of decaying if it has not already. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented May 16 at 1:35
  • $\begingroup$ @JonCuster: so there is no way of determining that one neutron is closer to decay than another? And yet, something must be different about them. Is it possible that some external event causes decay? I was just thinking, could collisions or temperature have an effect? $\endgroup$
    – releseabe
    Commented May 16 at 1:52
  • $\begingroup$ No, nothing is different. Just randomness. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented May 16 at 1:58

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