1.1.9

Sub-Atomic Particles

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The Charges of Sub-Atomic Particles

The 3 different sub-atomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons) have different relative charges. In an atom, these charges all cancel each other out., meaning that atoms have zero overall charge (are neutral).

Illustrative background for Protons (+1)Illustrative background for Protons (+1) ?? "content

Protons (+1)

  • Protons have a relative charge of +1.
  • Protons are found in the nucleus.
  • An element’s atomic number is the number of protons it has.
    • All atoms of the same element will have an identical number of protons.
Illustrative background for Electrons (-1)Illustrative background for Electrons (-1) ?? "content

Electrons (-1)

  • Electrons have a relative charge of -1.
  • Electrons are found in fixed orbits around the nucleus.
  • In any atom, the total number of negative electrons equals the number of positive protons, meaning atoms have no overall electric charge.
Illustrative background for Neutrons (0)Illustrative background for Neutrons (0) ?? "content

Neutrons (0)

  • Neutrons have a relative charge of 0 - they are neutral.
  • Like protons, they are found in the nucleus.

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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