What does it mean for an atom to be neutral?

Answer 1

It means that the atom has no charge (not positive or negative). This is because there are an equal number of protons and electrons in the atom.

When an atom has a charge it is called an ion.

Answer 2

The term 'neutral charge' is meaningless, if an atom is neutral then it has no charge if it has charge then it can not be neutral.

'Neutral' means that it will not be deflected in an elecromagnetic field. Particles inside atoms are either electrically neutral (neutrons) or are 'charged' (protons and electrons). being charged means that they would be affected by an electrical field. If an electrical field is applied to either protons and electrons, they are deflected in opposite directions. Therefore protons and electrons have opposite charges. The convention is that protons have a '+' charge, and the electrons a '-' charge, although any suitable description (up/down, black/white, left/ght etc) could be used as long as one description was the opposite of the other. All atoms are neutral, as they have the same number of + protons as - electrons in them. If an atom loses or gains one or more electrons it becomes iteslf charged and is then known as an 'ion'.

Answer 3

The charge of an atom is accounted by its protons and electrons. They have positive and negative charges respectively. If the number of protons and electrons in an atom are similar, it has neutral charge.

Answer 4

A neutral atom means the atom has no electrical charge. The number of electrons orbiting the nucleus equals the number of protons in the nucleus.

Answer 5

Being neutral means it neither as a positive nor negative charge

Answer 6

When at atom is electrically neutral, that means it has no net positive nor negative charge. This occurs when the number of protons (+) is equal to the number of electrons (-).

Answer 7

An ion doesn't exist in this case.