Protons carry what type of charge?

Protons carry a positive charge. This characteristic is fundamental to the structure of atoms and plays a crucial role in determining the overall charge of an atom. Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons; protons and neutrons reside in the nucleus while electrons orbit around the nucleus.

The positive charge of protons is one half of what defines the atomic number of an element, which indicates how many protons an atom has. This positive charge also contributes to the attractive forces that hold electrons (which have a negative charge) in orbit around the nucleus, thus stabilizing the atom. The balance between the number of protons and electrons determines whether an atom is neutral, positively charged (if there are fewer electrons), or negatively charged (if there are more electrons).

Understanding the nature of protons and their positive charge is fundamental for exploring topics such as atomic structure, ionic compounds, and chemical bonding.