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In order to be neutral, an atom must have the same number of electrons and protons. Atoms—and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them—are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10 −23 g, and an electron has a charge of less than 2 × 10 −19 C (coulomb).
Electrons are a type of subatomic particle with a negative charge. Protons are a type of subatomic particle with a positive charge. Protons are bound together in an atom's nucleus as a result of the strong nuclear force. Neutrons are a type of subatomic particle with no charge (they are neutral).
Protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass, but they are both much more massive than electrons (approximately 2,000 times as massive as an electron). The positive charge on a proton is equal in magnitude to the negative charge on an electron.
Key Concepts. Atoms are made of extremely tiny particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are in the center of the atom, making up the nucleus. Electrons surround the nucleus. Protons have a positive charge.
Today, they agree that atoms have a positively-charged nucleus made of protons and neutrons, and negatively-charged electrons that orbit the nucleus in shells.
Atoms consist of three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Each atom has a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons and has a positive electrical charge. Protons and neutrons are roughly the same mass as one another (neutrons are slightly more massive).
Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons carry a positive electrical change, while electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons are neutral. A neutral atom has the same number of protons and electrons (charges cancel each other out).