Final answer:
Protons are positively charged particles with a mass of 1.0073 amu, while neutrons are uncharged with a mass of 1.0087 amu, and electrons are negatively charged with a minuscule mass of 0.00055 amu. Protons and neutrons are much heavier than electrons and are located in the atom's nucleus. The balance of electrons and protons determines the neutrality of an atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Protons are positively charged particles with a relative charge of +1. They have a mass of 1.0073 atomic mass units (amu). Neutrons, on the other hand, are electrically neutral with no charge and have a slightly greater mass of 1.0087 amu. Both protons and neutrons, referred to as nucleons, are found in the nucleus of an atom and are approximately 1836 times heavier than electrons.
Electrons have a negative charge with a relative charge of -1, which is identical in magnitude but opposite in sign to that of protons. Their mass is about 0.00055 amu, making them much lighter than protons or neutrons. The number of protons in an atom's nucleus defines the atomic number (Z) and determines the element's identity.
It is interesting to note that in a neutral atom, the number of protons and electrons are equal, thus balancing the electrical charge. The atomic mass unit (amu) is a standard unit of mass that quantifies mass on an atomic or molecular scale. Understanding the properties of these subatomic particles is fundamental for studying chemistry and understanding the behavior of elements and compounds.