How do protons, neutrons, and electrons determine the properties of an atom?

Protons contribute to the mass of an atom and provide the positive charge to the nucleus. The number of protons also determines the identity of the element. Electrons have a negative charge. Since the atom is electrically neutral, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons.

Explanation:

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Protons contribute to the mass of an atom and provide the positive charge to the nucleus. The number of protons also determines the identity of the element. Electrons have a negative charge. Since the atom is electrically neutral, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons.

Electrons located in the outermost shell of the electron cloud are called “valence electrons” and have the highest energy. Valence electrons determine the chemical properties of an element, or how the valence electrons of one element are shared or traded with valence electrons of other elements to create new molecules.