When does an atom gain a proton?

Answer 1

Protons are what determines which element is which. If you add a proton, and possibly some number of neutrons, you will get a different element.

Because protons are in the nucleus of an atom, atoms do not gain protons naturally.

Radioactive elements can lose protons as they stabilize, in a process called "natural transmutation," but to my knowledge, no element can naturally gain any protons.

Scientists, however, have discovered methods for performing artificial transmutation where one element is converted to another, by using machines such as "particle accelerators," "fission power reactors," or "tokamak reactors."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation

Answer 2

To do so means that the atom becomes another element entirely. Ions (charged atoms) are created by the loss or gain of electrons, not protons.

Neutron to Proton Decay

In one form of radioactive decay, the beta- emission, a neutron becomes a proton through the emission of a electron. This effectively changes the atom to an isotope of a heavier element.

This emission also follows the capture of a neutron in the fusion process called the "slow" or "S-process." This increases the number of heavier elements in a star, and is much slower than the proton-proton process (e.g. H=>He) that produces most of the energy in stars the size of our Sun.

Answer 3

An atom gains a proton through a process called protonation, which typically occurs during a chemical reaction. Protonation results in the atom forming a new chemical bond with an additional proton, changing its atomic number and identity.

Answer 4

No. If an atom gains protons it will become a different element. This would involve a nuclear reaction.

Answer 5

If an atom has 5 to 7 valence electrons and is more electronegative, it will generally gain electrons.