Which subatomic particle has a negative charge

Since neutrons are neither attracted to nor repelled from objects, they don't really interact with protons or electrons beyond being bound into the nucleus with the protons.

Even though electrons, protons, and neutrons are all types of subatomic particles, they are not all the same size. When you compare the masses of electrons, protons, and neutrons, what you find is that electrons have an extremely small mass, compared to either protons or neutrons. On the other hand, the masses of protons and neutrons are fairly similar, although technically, the mass of a neutron is slightly larger than the mass of a proton. Because protons and neutrons are so much more massive than electrons, almost all of the mass of any atom comes from the nucleus, which contains all of the neutrons and protons.

The second column shows the masses of the three subatomic particles in "atomic mass units. Negative and positive charges of equal magnitude cancel each other out. This means that the negative charge on an electron perfectly balances the positive charge on the proton. In other words, a neutral atom must have exactly one electron for every proton.

If a neutral atom has 1 proton, it must have 1 electron. If a neutral atom has 2 protons, it must have 2 electrons. If a neutral atom has 10 protons, it must have 10 electrons. You get the idea. In order to be neutral, an atom must have the same number of electrons and protons.

Learning Objectives Describe the locations, charges, and masses of the three main subatomic particles. Determine the number of protons and electrons in an atom. Define atomic mass unit amu. Electrons Electrons are one of three main types of particles that make up atoms. If an electrons were the mass of a penny, a proton or a neutrons would have the mass of a large bowling ball!

Protons A proton is one of three main particles that make up the atom. Neutrons Atoms of all elements - except for most atoms of hydrogen - have neutrons in their nucleus. Electron Proton Neutron None of these. Know more about Chemistry and ace the concept of Structure of Atom. The Correct answer is Electron. Key Points Electron is the negatively charged particle that rotating around the nucleus at the constant speed. Electron was discovered by J J Thompson. Charge: - 1.

Discovered by Ernest Rutherford. Neutron: The Chargeless particle that resides inside the nucleus. It helps to determine the mass number of atom. Discovered by James Chadwick. Get Started for Free Download App. More Structure of Atom Questions Q1. Which is the element with the smallest nucleus? Its average atomic mass is Scientists determine the atomic mass by calculating the mean of the mass numbers for its naturally-occurring isotopes.

Often, the resulting number contains a decimal. For example, the atomic mass of chlorine Cl is Given an atomic number Z and mass number A , you can find the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a neutral atom.

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. The Chemical Building Blocks of Life. Search for:. Atomic Structure. Overview of Atomic Structure Atoms are made up of particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons, which are responsible for the mass and charge of atoms.

Learning Objectives Discuss the electronic and structural properties of an atom. Key Takeaways Key Points An atom is composed of two regions: the nucleus, which is in the center of the atom and contains protons and neutrons, and the outer region of the atom, which holds its electrons in orbit around the nucleus.

Neutrons are uncharged particles found within the nucleus. Key Terms atom : The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, consisting of a nucleus surrounded by electrons. It weighs 1 amu. It has no charge. It is equal in mass to a proton or it weighs 1 amu.

Atomic Number and Mass Number The atomic number is the number of protons in an element, while the mass number is the number of protons plus the number of neutrons. Learning Objectives Determine the relationship between the mass number of an atom, its atomic number, its atomic mass, and its number of subatomic particles.