What is the average lifetime of a free (outside a nucleus) neutron?

So what happens to them when they "die"? Do they become something else? Are they absorbed by something else?

Knew this from working at Los Alamos Lab. I worked in the WNR section. Free neutrons decay in a matter minutes.

A neutron bomb theoretically leaves no lasting radiation, so the shortest time span for the avg life span had to be in seconds or minutes, not years. However if there had been more than one answer in minutes and seconds, the neutrons in my brain would have exploded, lol

Liam O'Connor, wow😮😮😮😁

Awfully short answer. Appreciate some of the comments made earlier. Still clear as mud.

Free neutrons become rioters.

Proton and an electron.

Carmen Brown, They split into a proton and an electron ... which together constitute a hydrogen atom.

larrywagner, Player Cari G. and I would like to know why neutrons would leave the nucleus? Does this happen naturally, or only in a lab? Thank you, Christine, James' wife

Cari G., Neutrons are a part inside an atom that have no charge. Protons have a positive charge and are also within an atom. Electrons have a negative charge and are outside an atom. Neutrons affect the weight of an element, but not its number on the periodic table. Maybe, I will scroll up to ask Larry Wagner why neutrons would ever leave an atom. He worked in nuclear lab, it seems. Thank you, Christine, James' wife

tesla alset, got your back, Tesla! 😊 👍

ninakamwene, 👍 😊

larrywagner, good comment, Larry! 😊 👍

tesla alset, Good reply Tesla.

Ok, so I think a few more words might help our understanding of neutrons

it pays to pay attention ib physics class even 34 years later.