The Charges of Sub-Atomic Particles

• Protons (+1)

  • Protons have a relative charge of +1.
  • Protons are found in the nucleus.
  • An element’s atomic number is the number of protons it has.
  • All atoms of the same element will have an identical number of protons.
• Electrons (-1)

  • Electrons have a relative charge of -1.
  • Electrons are found in fixed orbits around the nucleus.
  • In any atom, the total number of negative electrons equals the number of positive protons, meaning atoms have no overall electric charge.
• Neutrons (0)

  • Neutrons have a relative charge of 0 - they are neutral.
  • Like protons, they are found in the nucleus.