Question

Which of the following atoms would have a charge of +1?

Answer 1

Answer: An atom with 6 protons, 5 electrons, and 7 neutrons

Explanation: In this case, neutrons do not matter as they have a charge of 0, or no charge. A proton has a charge of +1 and an electron has a charge of -1. Since there are 6 protons, the total charge of the protons would be +6. Since there are 5 electrons the total charge of the electrons would be -5. +6 - 5 would result in a charge of +1. This means that this atom would have an overall charge of + 1. Basically, if there is one more proton than electron, then the overall charge of the atom will be +1 but if there is one more electron than proton, then the overall charge of the atom will be -1.