Question

An object that’s charged has more electrons than protons. An object that’s charged has fewer electrons than protons. An object that’s charged has the same number of electrons and protons.

Answer 1

Answer: Objects with more electrons than protons are charged negatively; objects with fewer electrons than protons are charged positively.

Explanation: In this discussion of electrically charged versus electrically neutral objects, the neutron has been neglected. Neutrons, being electrically neutral play no role in this unit. Their presence (or absence) will have no direct bearing upon whether an object is charged or uncharged. Their role in the atom is merely to provide stability to the nucleus, a subject not discussed in The Physics Classroom. When it comes to the drama of static electricity, electrons and protons become the main characters.

Answer 2

An element is neutral when the charged is equal to zero. This means that the number of electrons and protons are equal. When an object has a NEGATIVE charge, its electrons are more than its protons. Also, the object has a POSITIVE charge when the number of its electrons are fewer compared to the number of the protons.