Question

What is the net charge of a helium atom?

Answer 1

Hint: Helium is an element with the atomic number $ 2 $ that may be found on the upper right side of the periodic table. It is the most important member of the noble gas family. Helium is made up of two electrons bonded together by the electromagnetic force to a nucleus containing two protons and one or two neutrons, depending on the isotope.

Complete answer:
The balance of electrons and protons determines whether you have a negative charge (more electrons than protons), a positive charge (more protons than electrons), or no charge (equal quantities of electrons and protons).
Because neutrons are uncharged (neutral) particles, they have no effect on determining an atom's charge.
In the case of helium, there are two protons in the nucleus and two electrons around it.
Each proton carries a $ + 1 $ charge, while each electron carries a $ - 1 $ charge. If the total positive charge and the total negative charge add up to give zero, the atom is said to be neutral. In helium's case, $ 2 $ protons and $ 2 $ electrons. Neutrons have no charge. Since the numbers of protons and electrons are equal, the positive charge of the protons and the negative charge of the electrons add up to zero.
 $ 2 \times ( + 1) + 2 \times ( - 1) = 2 - 2 = 0 $
Therefore, the helium atom is considered as a neutral atom.

Note:
The nucleus, which is in the centre of the atom and includes protons and neutrons, and the outer region, which holds the atom's electrons in orbit around the nucleus, make up an atom. Protons and neutrons have a mass which is equal to one atomic mass unit (amu) or one Dalton.