What happens when you change the number of neutrons in an atom? Electrons? Protons?

Answer 1

You get a different isotope of the same element that you started with if you change the number of neutrons. It does not change it chemically.
If you change the number of protons you get a different element since elements are named by the number of protons.
If an element gains or loses electrons it gets a charge and is in the process of forming a compound.

Answer 2

When you change the number of neutrons, you form an isotope. Some of these isotopes are radioactive.
Changing the number of electrons gives an atom a charge. This is done in pairs so that the charge overall is still 0. Nature is full of checks and balances. Atoms on the left side of the periodic table (as you're facing it) tend to "donate" electrons. On the right side, they tend to "accept" electrons.
However, short of a particle accelerator, the number of protons doesn't change as I recall.

Answer 3

Neutrons can be added or subtracted from the nuclei of an atom without changing the number of protons in the nuclei or the number of electrons orbiting the atom which must exactly balance the charge of the protons. However the stability of the atom may change if too many (even one?) neutron is added.

Answer 4

it particularly is purely a rely how we choose to label issues. If there's a metamorphosis interior the kind of neutrons or electrons, we nonetheless call it an identical element. If the kind of protons variations, we call it yet another element. The atom reacts with different atoms in any different case reckoning on how many electons and neutrons it has, yet once you alter the kind of protons, the entire issues acts very in any different case (would be a solid particularly of a gas, and so on.) So while the kind of protons variations, we in simple terms call it an entire diverse element.