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neutrally charged ones All atoms have the same number of protons and electrons, that's why they're electrically neutral. The negative charge on the electron and the positive charge on the proton are the same magnitude.

If there is a difference in the number of protons and neutrons, we call the atom an Ion, and state the charge.

When there are more electrons than protons, we call this an Anion (a negatively charged Ion) and when there are fewer electrons than protons, this is called a Cation (a positively charged Ion).

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Related Questions

What determines the number of electrons?

The number of protons determines the number of electrons in the ground state of the atom. However electrons can be subtracted or added when the atom is not in its ground state, creating ions.


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An atom with no electrical charge in its normal state has an equal number of protons and electrons. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is the atomic number, which is the same as the number of electrons in a neutral atom.


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The number of electrons should equal the number of protons, otherwise you have an ion.


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The number of protons in an atom is equal to its atomic number. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to that of protons. If the atom is negatively charged, add it to the number of electrons; and if positive, subtract.


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