• Discoveries in 1932 that have greatly influenced modern day physics and chemistry

Discovery of the neutron:

While scientists were studying the atom, they found that the atomic mass was always more than the atomic number, or the number of protons in the atom. Because electrons were thought to have an insignificant weight, Rutherford hypothesized that the neutron could exist. After hearing about the experiments in Europe, especially those performed by the Curies, and James Chadwick repeated them with the goal of finding the neutron. He discovered that the neutron did exist, with a mass of about 0.1 percent more than the proton. His findings lead to many new discoveries in atomic physics, including the fission of the uranium atom.

Splitting of the atom:

J.D. Cockroft and E.T.S. Walton found that by bombarding a lithium atom with protons accelerated at 600 volts, the atom can split and release 16 million volts of internal energy. The lithium atom would capture a proton and break up into two alpha particles with energy of 8 million volts each, forming two atoms of helium. This was the first example of man-made nuclear transformation.