Why don't atoms have an overall charge?

Atoms are made up of three types of particles: protons, neutrons and electrons.

The relatives charge on each of these particles are as follows: protons = +1, neutrons = 0, electrons = -1

Because neutrons are not charged, they don't affect the overall charge of the atom.

The number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons. Because protons and electrons have equal but opposite charges, they cancel each other out.

OA
Answered by Oreoluwapo A. Chemistry tutor

20141 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is distillation?


How does increasing the temperature increase the rate of a reaction?


How many covalent bonds do nitrogen atoms make and why?


How do perturbations to a system affect the equilibrium position of a reaction?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning