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Because protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge, so if you have more electrons than protons, you have a negatively charged atom, and if you have more protons than electrons, you have a positively charged atom.
That means if you have the same amount of protons and electrons, the charge would be neutral.
An atom must contain an equal number of protons and electrons to maintain electrical neutrality. Protons are positively charged and electrons are negatively charged, so an equal number of each balances out the overall charge of the atom, making it electrically neutral.
Electrons have a relative charge of -1 whereas protons have a relative charge of +1. Since atoms are neutral and have no overall charge, the numbers of electrons and protons must be the same.
If an atom gained electrons, it would have more electrons than protons and would be negatively charged. This is a negative ion. Also called anion.
If an atom lost electrons, it would have more protons than electrons and would be positively charged. This is a positive ion. Also called cation.
Yes, a neutrally-charged atom has the same number of protons inside its nucleus as the number of electrons it has orbiting around outside its nucleus.
A more detailed answer
The simplest atom, hydrogen, has only one proton and no neutrons in its core whilst the cores of most atoms heavier than hydrogen contain both protons and neutrons. The mass of a neutron is about the same as the mass of a proton.
Every proton has a positive electrical charge whilst every neutron has no charge at all, meaning it is electrically neutral, which is why it was given that name.
The central core part of any complete atom is called its "nucleus". Every complete atom has negatively-charged electrons orbiting around its nucleus.
For an atom to be "neutral" - meaning that it has no overall electrical charge - it must have exactly the same number of electrons orbiting around outside its nucleus as the number of protons it contains inside its nucleus.
In order to be electrically neutral. In the close presence of other atoms that form an ionically bonded compound, however, atoms that do not have equal numbers of protons and neutrons exist but are properly called "ions" instead of atoms.
It must contain an equal number of proton and electrons because :
A proton has a positive charge
A electron has a negative charge
A neutron has no charge
All stable elements have no charge so they must have an equal number of protons and electrons to equal out their charges.
Actually not all atoms have the same number of electrons as protons... sometimes two atoms rub together and an electron or protons are lost.
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Is the number of valence electrons equal to the number of protons?
No, the number of valence electrons is not always equal to the number of protons. The number of valence electrons is determined by the group number of an element on the periodic table, while the number of protons is the atomic number of the element.
What is equal to the number of protons which is equal to the number of electrons?
Do you mean what does the number of protons equal? This is the atomic number of the element. All isotopes of an element will have the same number of protons, only the number of neutrons varies.
What identify the number of protons neutrons and electrons in the atom.?
The number of protons in an atom is equal to its atomic number, which identifies the element. Neutrons are found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number. For a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons.
How do you find out the amount of electrons in an atom?
The number of electrons in an atom is equal to its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. This is because atoms are electrically neutral, so they have an equal number of protons and electrons. You can find the atomic number of an element on the periodic table.
What indicates the number of an electron in a neutral atom?
The number of an electron in a neutral atom is indicated by the atomic number, which is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus of the atom. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons.
What must a neutral atom with four protons contain?
A neutral atom must contain an equal number of electrons because it is a neutral atom.
If an atom contains 15 electrons it will also have 15?
protons. The number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons to maintain overall neutrality.
Do protons and electrons have the same number?
Yes, the atomic number is equal to the number of protons. The number of protons is also equal to the number of electrons
Is the number of electrons equal the number of neutrons in an atom?
not usually, a standard atom will contain the same amount of electrons and PROTONS, not neutrons
What do all atoms have the same number of?
Atoms contain equal numbers of protons and electrons until they are ionized into a charged species or "ion."
Nobelium has an atomic number of 102 how many protons and electrons does it have?
Nobelium has 102 protons and 102 electrons, as the number of protons is equal to the atomic number, and in a neutral atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons.
Is the number of protons no of electrons?
Yes , the no. of electrons is equal to the no. of protons
When atoms are at rest what do they have an equal number of?
When atoms are at rest, they have an equal number of electrons and protons, giving them a neutral charge.
If an atom contains 15 protons it must contain?
Any atom should have equal number of protons and electrons. If the atom contains 15 protons then it must contain 15 electrons.
How many electrons versus protons in an atom?
The number of electrons should = the number of protons.
Is the number of valence electrons equal to the number of protons?
No, the number of valence electrons is not always equal to the number of protons. The number of valence electrons is determined by the group number of an element on the periodic table, while the number of protons is the atomic number of the element.
What is equal to the number of protons which is equal to the number of electrons?
Do you mean what does the number of protons equal? This is the atomic number of the element. All isotopes of an element will have the same number of protons, only the number of neutrons varies.
