What happens in an atom that causes it to be negative/positive, why do they repel each other, and why does this even happen in the first place?
In: Chemistry
Positive and negative don’t repel each other. One of the defining features of electric charge is that positive attracts to negative, but repels other positive charges.
What happens to make these charges is that atoms are made of positive and negative charges, in the form of protons (positive) and electrons (negative). They always have those charges. When you have an equal number of protons and electrons, you have a neutral atom. However, electrons can leave, and more electrons can be added. When these happen, the entire atom becomes charged.
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