Are atoms electrically neutral?

In summary, the conversation discusses the difference between atoms and ions in terms of their electric properties. While ions have a net electric charge and behave like charged objects, atoms are considered electrically neutral due to the equal number of protons and electrons they possess. However, the distribution of charges in an atom can create an electric field and cause a shift in the position of the charged particles, known as polarisation. Overall, atoms are neutral but this statement may be oversimplified and does not account for all aspects of electric forces.
  • #1
Ahmed Abdullah
203
3
What is the difference between an atom and an ion? Ion has net electric charge. So it shows electric property. It acts like a small charged ball. What about an atom? Does it behave as a neutral object?
Atom has equal number of protons and electrons bind together in the space. For this it is said to be electrically neutral. But electricity is a vector quantity, so equal number of positive and negetive charges doesn't essentially cancel out the effect of each other.
Let's take hydrogen atom for example. It has an electron that is orbiting around a proton. At any instance of time, there is a point between this two charged particle that is neutral (according to couloumb's law). But as a whole this system will have net electric property. So a hydrogen atom should behave like a charged object rather than being neutral.
Actually the nature of electric force (static) is such that charges distributed in space (like or unlike), always creates an electric field.
So atoms are not electrically neutral at all!
Am I right? Please confirm me.
 
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  • #2
Gross, they are electrically neutral - obviously, because they have the same number of positive and negative charges.

Your analysis is flawed because electrons don't behave as little points whizzing around the nucleus.

However, a similar effect can still exist. Expose a proton-electron system of any kind to an electric field, and the proton and electron will shift relative to one another in response, creating their own electric field. This is called polarisation.

(Electric polarisation that is; optical polarisation is something entirely different).

None of this alters the fact that overall, atoms are electrically neutral - though the statement itself is highly simplified and one might say logically insufficient.
 
  • #3
"electricity" is not a vector quantity! The electric field, at any point is a vector but you are talking about charge which definitely is a scalar (numeric) quantity.
 
  • #4
At any instance of time, there is a point between this two charged particle that is neutral (according to couloumb's law).


There is no such point in a dipole
 

1. What does it mean for an atom to be electrically neutral?

Electrically neutral means that an atom has an equal number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons, resulting in a net charge of zero.

2. Why are atoms electrically neutral?

Atoms are electrically neutral because of the strong attractive force between positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. This force keeps the electrons in orbit around the nucleus, maintaining the overall neutral charge of the atom.

3. Are all atoms electrically neutral?

No, some atoms can become electrically charged if they gain or lose electrons. Atoms with unequal numbers of protons and electrons are called ions and have a net positive or negative charge.

4. How do we know that atoms are electrically neutral?

Scientists have conducted numerous experiments to observe the behavior of atoms and their subatomic particles. These experiments have consistently shown that atoms have a neutral charge, with equal numbers of protons and electrons.

5. Can atoms still interact with other particles if they are electrically neutral?

Yes, atoms can still interact with other particles even if they are electrically neutral. The neutral charge of atoms does not affect their ability to form chemical bonds or participate in other physical interactions with other particles.

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