Protons, Neutrons & Electrons | Physics for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Relative Charge

• The particles within an atom exhibit distinct properties.
• Relative mass serves as a comparative measure and is denoted in atomic mass units (amu). For instance, a relative mass of 1 corresponds to 1.67 × 10^-27 kg.
• Charge, which can be positive or negative, is another contrasting factor among particles. Relative charge aids in the comparative analysis of these particles.
• The fundamental charge is consistent in magnitude for both protons and electrons, despite the electron bearing a negative charge.
  
• If a particle possesses a relative charge of 0, it is categorized as neutral, indicating a balance of positive and negative charges.
• Both protons and neutrons exhibit a relative mass of 1, signifying their identical mass despite their differing charges.

Nuclear Charge

• Nuclear charge is typically expressed as the relative charge of the nucleus. The term 'relative' denotes the charge of the particle divided by the charge of the proton.
• The proton number signifies the quantity of protons present in a nucleus. Since nuclei consist solely of protons and neutrons, the proton number establishes the relative charge of a nucleus.

Nuclear Mass

• Nuclear mass refers to the relative mass of the nucleus, calculated by dividing the mass of the particle by the mass of the proton.
• The mass number represents the total count of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
• Nucleon number (mass number) is crucial in determining the relative mass of a nucleus.