chemistry:neutral atoms?

Question

are neutral atoms isotopes? and what are neutral atoms actually?

Answer 1

Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons are positively charged and the electrons are negatively charged. The neutrons have no charge. Which element an atom represents is determined by the number of protons the atom has: 1 proton=hydrogen, 2 protons=helium, 3 protons=Lithium, etc.

The number of neutrons the atom has determines which isotope of the element the atom is. For example, an atom with 6 protons will be a carbon atom. If it has 6 neutrons, the atom will be carbon-12. If it has 7 neutrons, it will be carbon-13, and 8 neutrons it will be carbon-14. All isotopes of a given element will behave almost the same chemically.

Usually, an atom has the same number of electrons as it does protons. In this case, the charges of the protons and the electrons cancel out and we say that the atom is neutral. In chemical reactions the atom can either gain or lose electrons, which makes it charged. If the atom gains electrons, it will be negatively charged, if it loses electrons, it will be positively charged. A charged atom is also called an ion.

Answer 2

There are some real idiots on here.

Neutrality has to do with charge, which is determined by the number of protons and electrons. More protons than electrons = positive charge, more electrons than protons = negative charge, same number of each = neutral.

Isotopes are atoms with different numbers of neutrons. Neutrons are uncharged, and have NOTHING to do with whether the atom is neutral.

Neutrality also has very little to do with bonding. They are related only in the sense that they are both governed by electrons. An atom that has 8 "valence" electrons--that means electrons near the surface of the atom, where they can interact with other atoms--is stable, and they form bonds in order to become stable. Atoms that have 8 valence electrons on their own, like neon or argon, don't form bonds.

I'd pick the first answerer as best if I were you. His explanation was actually accurate.

Answer 3

No, isotopes and electric charge arn't really related for the purpose of this question.

Neutral Adams have the same amount of protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge).

An isotope is an atom that has too many neutrons (neutral charge). Remember that the weight of an atom is all in the protons and neutrons (electrons are tiny - 99% of the mass is in the neucleus).

Carbon, for example, usually has 6 neutrons and 6 protons. Some carbon can have 6 protons and 8 neutrons. This makes the atom unbalanced.

Many isotopes are unstable enough to decay radioactivly.

Answer 4

neutral atoms are ones that exist in perfect harmony and without charge. A neutral atom is not an isotope since a neutral item is happy to exist without interaction with other atoms. Check out the site below for clarification.