Simple Description

One of the the sub atomic particles found in the nucleus. Protons have a positive charge.

Further Detail

Protons have a relative mass of 1 and a relative charge of +1. The number of protons inside the nucleus determines which atom it is - for example, if a nucleus has 12 protons then, by definition, it is Carbon. Atoms always have the same number of protons and electrons and therefore have an overall charge of 0.

Related Words:

• Neutron
• Electron
• Atomic number

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