Ions and isotopes

Ions and isotopes

The number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons it has.
- Protons have equal and opposite charges to electrons.
- So, the atom has no overall charge.
Ions are particles that have charge due to an imbalance in proton and electron numbers.
- Removing electrons from an atom will result in a positively charged ion.
- Adding electrons to an atom will result in a negatively charged ion.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element but with different masses. They will have the same number of protons and electrons but different numbers of neutrons.

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