What Is The Overall Electrical Charge Of An Atom With An Equal Number Of Protons And Electrons?
What is the overall electrical charge of an atom with an equal number of protons and electrons?
Answer:
An atom with an equal number of protons and electrons has an overall electrical charge of zero. This is because the positive charge of the protons and the negative charge of the electrons cancel each other out.
Explanation:
- Protons are positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.
- Electrons are negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus.
- Since each proton has a charge of +1 and each electron has a charge of -1, their charges are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign.
Example:
Consider a helium atom, which has 2 protons and 2 electrons:
- The total positive charge from the protons is (2 \times (+1) = +2).
- The total negative charge from the electrons is (2 \times (-1) = -2).
When you add these charges together (+2) + (-2), the result is 0, meaning the atom is electrically neutral.
Summary: An atom is electrically neutral when it has an equal number of protons and electrons, resulting in an overall charge of zero.