Final answer:
An electrically neutral atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, which dictates its atomic number and contributes to its chemical properties. Whenever there is a discrepancy between the number of protons and electrons, the atom becomes an ion with a charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
Since an atom is considered to be electrically neutral, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. Atoms contain positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons in equal numbers, which balances out to no net charge. Protons are found in the nucleus of an atom, and the electrons orbit around the nucleus. In the case of a neutral atom, there is no overall charge because the identical counts of protons and electrons cancel each other out.
For instance, a hydrogen atom, which has an atomic number of 1, contains one proton and one electron. Similarly, a manganese atom, with an atomic number of 25, contains twenty-five protons and twenty-five electrons.
When atoms have a different number of protons and electrons, they become ions with a positive or negative charge. The number of protons in a neutral atom reveals its atomic number, which is also the number of electrons it has, and influences many of the atom's chemical properties.