Question

If an atom contains one electron and one proton, will it carry any charge or not?

Answer 1

Hint: As we know that protons and electrons are the subatomic particles of an atom of any element, molecule or compound. They balance the charge of an atom as for each positive charge of proton, there is negative charge of electron. So here we have to tell whether an atom will carry charge or not if it contains one proton and one electron.

Complete answer:
Let us first discuss about the subatomic particles as follows:-
-Proton: It is a subatomic particle (denoted by symbol ‘p’ or ‘${{p}^{+}}$ ’) and its electric charge is positive one elementary charge. It has a mass slightly less than the mass of a neutron which is also another neutral subatomic particle. These protons and neutrons with their masses of approximately one atomic mass unit are collectively categorized to be called “nucleons” and together reside in the core of the atom named as nucleus.
-Electrons: The electron is a subatomic particle (denoted by symbol ‘${{e}^{-}}$ ’) and its electric charge is negative one elementary charge. It revolves around the nucleus of the atom and has a mass which is approximately $1/1836$ that of the proton. Both electrons and protons cancel each other's charge to maintain the balance.
-As we can see that both the subatomic particles have respective elementary charges with opposite signs. This means that if an atom contains one electron and one proton, then both of them will cancel each other’s charge and make a neutral atom.
-Therefore we can say that an atom that contains one electron and one proton do not carry any charge overall and it will be a neutral atom.

Note:
-Remember that only electrons can be removed or entered in an atom as it revolves around the nucleus and it is the only species that make reaction possible as it gets transferred from one substance to another.
-Also collectively the total number of protons and neutrons gives the atomic mass number of that atom.