For my sciene class i got this question.....Explain why the electrical charge on an atom is zero or neutral?

Question

Also another question was... explain why electrons make up much of an atom's volume but not much of its mass.

Answer 1

In any uncharged atom, the number of protons in the nucleus is always equal to the number of electrons outside of the nucleus. So, the number of positive charges equals the number of negative charges, which makes the net charge zero.

Protons and neutrons have masses which are much greater than the mass of an electron. Protons and neutrons are found in the very compact nucleus, while the electrons outside of the nucleus give the volume of the atom.

One chemistry text book puts this in very concrete terms by showing a professional baseball stadium. The entire stadium represents the size of an atom. The nucleus of that atom would be the size of a pea sitting on second base.

Answer 2

electrons have a negative charge of 1
protons have a positive charge of 1
there is an equal number of protons and electrons within a atom (unless its an ion of course)

in an atom there is a nucleus where the nuetrons and protons are banded together in a tight bunch, and then out from the nucleus there are electron levels where the electrons are situated (jumping up and down levels when energied)... Picture this... the nucleus is a football on the centre spot on a football pitch and the electrons are like flies buzzing around the outer most seat at the edge of the stadium, although electrons are small they occupy a bigger area.

Answer 3

A impartial atom or molecule is one wherein the form of protons (constructive rates) equals the form of electrons (adverse rates). for this reason the atom does comprise electric powered rates, the two constructive and adverse, yet has no popular internet charge as a results of fact each and each constructive charge is neutralized by potential of a corresponding adverse charge.

Answer 4

an atom is neutral bcoz otherwise it will be unstable therefore charges occur in pairs and about the electrons making much of the volume but not mass, this fact was established by rutherford after his gold scaterring experiment.