Final answer:
Atoms are typically electrically neutral because they contain the same number of electrons and protons, whose charges cancel each other out. Most objects don't exhibit static electricity due to this balance of charges, and the repulsion between electrons prevents objects from passing through each other despite the atoms being mostly empty space.
Step-by-step explanation:
Atoms typically have no electric charge because they contain an equal number of protons, which are positively charged, and electrons, which are negatively charged. These two types of charges cancel each other out. Electrons and protons have electrical charges that are identical in magnitude but opposite in sign, with electrons carrying a charge of -1 and protons a charge of +1. While the mass of protons or neutrons is significantly larger than that of electrons, the balance of charges leads to atoms being electrically neutral.
Despite the presence of such charged particles, most objects do not exhibit static electricity because the charges are usually balanced. An atom becomes charged, or an ion, only when the numbers of electrons and protons are not equal. Furthermore, the empty space within atoms does not lead to objects passing through each other because the negatively charged electrons repel each other, providing a form of structural integrity to matter.