Final answer:
A neutral object that gains electrons becomes negatively charged, creating an anion, while one that loses electrons becomes positively charged, forming a cation. The type of atom remains the same, but its charge changes, resulting in ionization.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a neutral object gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged. This is because electrons have a negative charge, and adding them to a neutral object increases its negative charge, resulting in an excess of electrons. For example, when a chlorine atom gains an electron, it becomes a Cl− ion, which is negatively charged.
Conversely, when a neutral object loses electrons, it becomes positively charged. This happens because the loss of negatively charged electrons makes the object deficient in negative charge relative to positive charge. For instance, when a sodium atom loses an electron, it becomes a Na+ ion, which is positively charged.
Atoms can gain or lose electrons through a process called ionization, becoming ions. This changes the charge of atoms, not the type of atom. Ions are either positively charged (cation) or negatively charged (anion). A neutral object that gains electrons (as in reduction) will consequently hold a negative charge, and an object that loses electrons will have a positive charge.