Proton
Proton, elementary particle that carries a positive electric charge and, along with the electron and the neutron , is one of the building blocks of all atoms. Elementary particles are the smallest parts of matter that scientists can isolate. The proton is one of the few elementary particles that is stable—that is, it can exist by itself for a long period of time. Protons and neutrons are the building blocks of the atomic nucleus, the center of the atom. Electrons form the outer part of the atom. Protons have a positive electrical charge of 1.602 x 10-19 coulomb. This charge is equal but opposite to the negative charge of the electron. Neutrons have no electrical charge. Protons have a mass of 1.67 x 10-27 kg and, along with neutrons, they account for most of the mass in atoms. Atoms contain an equal number of protons and electrons so that every atom has an overall charge of zero.(See also Atom and Electricity ) The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom determines what kind of che...