What happens to a neutron atom if it gains or loses electrons?

Answer 1

Neutrons are neutral subatomic particles in the nuclei of atoms. To remove neutrons from an atom would take an act of nuclear fission.

Neutrons are about as heavy as protons. The gain of a neutron would make the atom heavier; the loss, lighter. The gain or loss of neutrons will not affect the charge of an atom.

Answer 2

If an atom or element gains or loses neutrons, its atomic weight changes. We know that the number of protons in an atomic nucleus determines the elemental identity of a given atom. But a given element can have "different" atoms because that element can appear with different numbers of neutrons in its nucleus. When we are talking about different "types" of atoms of a given element, we use the term isotope to refer to them. Let's look at an example.

We know that hydrogen-1 has a single proton in its nucleus, and a single electron in orbit around that nucleus. But we also encounter some hydrogen atoms that have a neutron bound to the proton in the nucleus. It's still hydrogen, but it's now twice as massive as hydrogen-1, and we use the term hydrogen-2 to identify this isotope of hydrogen. If you guessed that there might be something called hydrogen-3 around, and that an atom of this isotope of hydrogen has two neutrons bound to the proton in the nucleus, you guessed correctly. Other elements present themselves in different isotopic configurations, and that's what changes when we add or remove neutrons from the nucleus of a given atom.

Answer 3

If a NEUTRAL atom gains an electron in its orbital, the charge on the atom decreases by one. If a neutral atom looses an electron the charge increases by one. A neutron is located in the nucleus of an atom, and can emit a beta minus particle in beta decay, which is a form of radiation.

Answer 4

Its mass is lowered, but it is still the same element.

Answer 5

An atom becomes an ion after gaining or losing an electron. By gaining an electron it becomes an anion & by losing an electron it becomes a cation

Answer 6

It becomes an isotope.