Why do neutrons not affect the charge of an atom?

• A. Neutrons have a positive charge that cancels out electrons.
• B. Neutrons are responsible for the mass, not the charge, of an atom.
• C. Neutrons are located outside the nucleus and do not interact with protons.
• D. Neutrons have no electric charge.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that an atom is composed of three main subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons.
2. Understand that protons carry a positive electric charge, electrons carry a negative electric charge, and neutrons carry no electric charge (they are neutral).
3. Since neutrons have no charge, they do not contribute to the overall electric charge of the atom.
4. Neutrons are located in the nucleus along with protons and primarily contribute to the atom's mass and stability, not its charge.
5. Therefore, the charge of an atom depends only on the balance between protons and electrons, while neutrons affect only the mass.