T his idea was only partly correct. One proton balances 1836 electrons W e have discovered that all the different kinds of atoms can be built out of only three even simpler particles - protons, neutrons, and electrons. Two of these three particles, the proton and the electron, carry an electric charge, and we must now see what this means. E lectric charge is a property of some basic particles that makes them behave in characteristic ways. A proton carries one unit of positive charge, and an electron has one unit of negative charge.
Neutrons are never charged, they are neutral.
I ncidentally, an electric current, which serves so many useful purposes in our homes, is nothing but a stream of electrons moving along a metal wire. This magnification . A toms and lesser particles are very small indeed. However, single atoms are far too small to be seen clearly by even the most powerful microscope. W e can learn about atoms mainly by studying bigger pieces of matter containing millions of them.