Final answer:
The type of charge of an electron is negative. Objects with an equal number of electrons and protons are electrically neutral, while gaining electrons results in a negative charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of charge of an electron is negative. When a positively charged particle exerts an inward force on another particle, it indicates that the other particle has an opposite charge. Therefore, that particle would be negatively charged. Objects are generally electrically neutral because they have equal numbers of positive and negative charges. When an object gains electrons from a neutral object, it becomes negatively charged, and the neutral object loses those electrons, thus acquiring a positive charge.
The magnitudes of charge of both the proton and the electron are equal, but their charges are opposite; the proton is positively charged while the electron is negatively charged. This means that if the direction of the electric field of a negative charge, such as an electron, is considered, it will be outward for a negative charge and inward for a positive charge, demonstrating the repulsion of like charges and attraction of opposite charges.