Can an atom have more electrons than protons?

If an atom has the same number of electrons as protons, it is a neutral atom. If it has a net charge, (more or less electrons than protons) it is an ion. If it has more electrons than protons it has a net negative charge and is known as an anion. The common ionic states of a atom are known as its valences.

What happens if an atom has more electrons than protons?

Any particle, whether an atom, molecule or ion, that contains less electrons than protons is said to be positively charged. Conversely, any particle that contains more electrons than protons is said to be negatively charged.

What happens if there are more neutrons than protons?

The number of neutrons gives you the isotope of the given element. The more neutrons, the heavier the element. The number of neutrons also affects the stability of the nucleus: too many or too few, and the nucleus comes apart. (This is called nuclear fission, and it creates new nuclei with lower atomic numbers.)

What do you call an atom with more neutrons than protons?

Atoms with differing number of protons and neutrons are called isotopes. When an atom has more protons than neutrons, they are very unstable and do not stay that way for long except for protium and helium-3. When an atom has more neutrons than protons, most of these isotopes are radioactive.

What happens when an atom loses an electron?

If an atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, its net charge is 0. If it gains an extra electron, it becomes negatively charged and is known as an anion. If it loses an electron, it becomes positively charged and is known as a cation.

How does an atom lose an electron?

An atom that gains or loses an electron becomes an ion. If it gains a negative electron, it becomes a negative ion….electrons.

Map of contents	Close
Counting in the nucleus (ext)	Some nuclei form
Putting things in order	Atoms at last
Neutrons and isotopes (ext)

Do atoms always have the same number of neutrons and electrons?

Protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass. However, one proton is about 1,835 times more massive than an electron. Atoms always have an equal number of protons and electrons, and the number of protons and neutrons is usually the same as well.

What happens if there is an extra electron?

Ions are atoms with extra electrons or missing electrons. When you are missing an electron or two, you have a positive charge. When you have an extra electron or two, you have a negative charge.

Why do larger atoms have more neutrons than protons?

The reason is that protons, being charged particles, repel each other. As you get to heavier elements, with each new proton you add, there is a larger repulsive force. As the nuclei get larger, the neutron well gets deeper as compared to the proton well and you get more neutrons than protons.

What element has 7 protons and 8 neutrons?

A nitride ion has 7 protons, 8 neutrons, and 10 electrons.

How many protons neutrons and electrons are in each element?

7 protons, 7 electrons, 7 neutrons Oxygen, O 8 protons, 8 electrons, 8 neutrons Fluorine, F 9 protons, 9 electrons, 10 neutrons Neon, Ne 10 protons, 10 electrons, 10 neutrons Sodium, Na 11 protons, 11 electrons, 12 neutrons Magnesium, Mg 12 protons, 12 electrons, 12 neutrons Aluminium, Al 13 protons, 13 electrons, 14 neutrons Silicon, Si

How are electrons and protons the same?

For a neutral atom , the number of electrons is the same as the number of protons. Often, the number of protons and electrons is not the same, so the atom carries a net positive or negative charge. You can determine the number of electrons in an ion if you know its charge.

Which have different numbers of electrons?

Different elements have different atomic numbers; therefore, atoms of different elements contain different numbers of protons (and electrons). Oxygen has the atomic number 8; its atoms contain 8 protons and 8 electrons. Uranium has the atomic number 92; its atoms contain 92 protons and 92 electrons.