• Question: Why is it that neutrons always have no charge, electrons have negative charge and protons have positive charge?

    Asked by chance786 to Ben, Dave on 28 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: David Briggs

      David Briggs answered on 28 Jun 2013:


      The charge of neutrons and protons depends upon what quarks they are made from. In neutrons the charges of the quarks cancel out – so they have a zero overall charge.
      In protons, there is extra positive charge, so protons are positively charged.

      Electrons are elementary particles that have a negative charge – I don’t think that we have an explanation for why – they just do.

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