Question

How can the net charge be changed while keeping the identity of the element the same?

1) By adding or removing protons
2) By adding or removing neutrons
3) By adding or removing electrons
4) By changing the atomic number

Answer 1

To change the net charge of an atom without altering its elemental identity, electrons must be added or removed, creating ions without changing the atomic number.

Step-by-step explanation:

To change the net charge of an atom while keeping the identity of the element the same, you can add or remove electrons. The atomic number, which represents the number of protons, defines the element; altering the number of protons would change the element itself. By adding electrons to an atom, it becomes negatively charged and is known as an anion. Conversely, removing electrons makes the atom positively charged, creating a cation. Regardless of the change in the number of neutrons, which leads to different isotopes, the chemical properties of the element remain consistent because the number of protons—and thus its place on the periodic table—remains unchanged.