Which statement could be used to explain why an atom is electrically neutral?

Atoms are electrically neutral because they contain equal quantities of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. Electrons and protons have equal but opposite charges, so the result is no net charge. Ions are atoms that have gained or lost electrons.

Is an atom electrically neutral yes or no?

An atom consists of a positively charged nucleus, surrounded by one or more negatively charged particles called electrons. The positive charges equal the negative charges, so the atom has no overall charge; it is electrically neutral.

Who said an atom is electrically neutral?

Rutherford
This analysis led Rutherford to propose a model in which an atom consists of a very small, positively charged nucleus, in which most of the mass of the atom is concentrated, surrounded by the negatively charged electrons, so that the atom is electrically neutral (Figure 5).

Why are atoms naturally neutral?

Every atom has no overall charge (neutral). This is because they contain equal numbers of positive protons and negative electrons. These opposite charges cancel each other out making the atom neutral.

How is an atom electrically stable?

Explanation: An atom has equal number of protons and electrons in its ground state. This makes the atom neutral and thus electrically stable.

How does an atom become electrically charged?

An entire atom becomes electrically charged when the number of electrons or protons stops being equal. The “extra” electron or proton isn’t balanced by something inside the atom anymore and begins to be attracted to the protons or electrons in other atoms. What is an atom?

How can an atom be electrically neutral when it contains particles that are charged quizlet?

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. An atom is electrically neutral because the number of negatively charged electrons outside the nucleus equals the number of positively charged protons inside the nucleus.

What particle of an atom is not electrically charged?

In the middle of every atom is the nucleus. The nucleus contains two types of subatomic particles, protons and neutrons. The protons have a positive electrical charge and the neutrons have no electrical charge.

What are electrically neutral?

The amount of charge on a single proton is equal to the amount of charge possessed by a single electron. A proton and an electron have an equal amount but an opposite type of charge. Thus, if an atom contains equal numbers of protons and electrons, the atom is described as being electrically neutral.

What is atom neutral?

When an atom has an equal number of electrons and protons, it has an equal number of negative electric charges (the electrons) and positive electric charges (the protons). The total electric charge of the atom is therefore zero and the atom is said to be neutral.

How do you know if an atom is stable or unstable?

Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy.

How is an atom electrically stable class 8?

Answer: An atom is electrically stable if it has equal no. of electrons and protons. However the stablity of an atom also depends on its neutrons.

How do you know if an atom is neutral?

Atoms are neutral if they have the same number of charged protons and electrons, balancing positive and negative charges. As long as the numbers of electron and protons are the same, the charges will balance. Sometimes atoms are more stable though when they are not perfectly electrically neutral.

Is an atom electrically neutral or electrically charged?

By definition, an atom is electrically neutral (i.e. has the same number of protons as it does electrons, plus some number of neutrons depending on the isotope). If a species were charged, it is referred to as an ion (cation for positively charged and anion for negatively charged species), also by definition.

Can an atom have a positive charge?

Atoms are neutral by definition. We defined “atom“ as a neutral particle consisting of neutrons, protons, and electrons. When such a particle were to get a positive or negative charge (for whatever reason) it ceases to be an atom, but is called an “ion” instead. It is all about definition.

What are the properties of an atom?

3. Atoms of different elements can form compounds. An atom is electrically neutral. It has no charge. In an atom, both positive charges and negative charges are equal. An atom is made out of a sphere of positive charges with negatively charged electron embedded in it.