Question

How does an atom become charged?

Answer 1

Answer:

An atom becomes charged when there is an unequal amount of positive and negative particles in the nucleus.

An atom gets a positive charge when there is an increase in protons or a decrease in electrons, such that there are more protons than electrons in the nucleus.

An atom gets a negative charge when there is an increase in electrons or a decrease in protons, such that there are more electrons than protons in the nucleus.

An atom can get a charge with a change of particles in the nucleus if that change results in an uneven number of protons and electrons.

Explanation:

Because protons are positively charged particles and electrons are negatively charged particles, a neutral atom has an equal amount of protons and electrons, so that the opposite charges of the particles cancel each other out.

However, if there is an unequal amount of protons or electrons in the nucleus, the charge of the particles will no longer be canceled out, and the atom as a whole will take on a positive or negative charge.