The Charges of Sub-Atomic Particles
Physics: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 7.1.3
The Charges of Sub-Atomic Particles
The 3 different sub-atomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons) have different relative charges. Atoms have no overall charge (are neutral). In an atom, these charges all cancel each other out.
Protons (+1)
- Protons have a relative charge of +1.
- They are found in the nucleus.
- An element’s atomic number is the number of protons it possesses.
- All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons.
Electrons (-1)
- Electrons have a relative charge of -1.
- They 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.
Neutrons (0)
- Neutrons have a relative charge of 0 - they are neutral.
- Like protons, they are found in the nucleus.
Test yourself on The Charges of Sub-Atomic Particles
Sub-atomic particles
Which of the following are true?
What is the overall charge of the nucleus of an atom?