Uploaded April 2015 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Here's one of the most common misconceptions in Chemistry. Many people think that it an atom or group of atoms, the number of protons and the number of electrons always has to be the same. This isn't true! There are many cases where the number of protons and electrons are different. This is what causes electrical charge, and it creates ions, like anions and cations. Where does this misconception come from? It may come from the fact that in electrically neutral atoms, the number of protons and neutrons has to be the same. And often, we assume that atoms are neutral, even when they're not.
Here's one of the most common misconceptions in Chemistry. Many people think that it an atom or group of atoms, the number of protons and the number of electrons always has to be the same. This isn't true! There are many cases where the number of protons and electrons are different. This is what causes electrical charge, and it creates ions, like anions and cations. Where does this misconception come from? It may come from the fact that in electrically neutral atoms, the number of protons and neutrons has to be the same. And often, we assume that atoms are neutral, even when they're not.
