why is atom electrically neutral
At least it is correct :)
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. As a result, ions have a net charge.
Where did SAD get this well written answer? Copied — plagiarized — from
sciencing. com/why-is-an-atom-electrically-neutral-13710231.html ??
I just hope "peter" doesn't copy and paste from it. Plagiarism usually means an F grade!
An atom is electrically neutral because it has an equal number of positively charged protons in its nucleus and negatively charged electrons in its electron cloud. The positive charge of the protons cancels out the negative charge of the electrons, resulting in a net charge of zero.
To understand why an atom is electrically neutral, it is helpful to know the basic structure of an atom. At the center of an atom is a dense nucleus composed of positively charged protons and neutral (with no charge) neutrons. Surrounding the nucleus, there are orbiting electrons that carry a negative charge.
The number of protons in an atom is called its atomic number and determines the element to which it belongs. For example, carbon atoms have six protons, so they have an atomic number of 6. Electrons, on the other hand, are distributed in specific energy levels or orbitals around the nucleus.
The key point is that the number of protons and electrons in an atom are equal. Each proton carries a positive charge, and each electron carries a negative charge of the same magnitude. These charges balance out, leading to an electrically neutral atom.
It is important to note that exceptions to electrical neutrality can occur. When atoms gain or lose electrons, they become charged particles called ions. Positively charged ions, formed when an atom loses electrons, have a net positive charge. Conversely, negatively charged ions, formed when an atom gains electrons, have a net negative charge. However, in their normal state, atoms are electrically neutral.