When we say an atom has a charge of +1 or -2, what does that quantity refer to? Is it a measurable force? An energy quantity?

Question

I understand it means that it has more protons or electrons but what does ‘charge’ actually mean? I feel like I know it but I can’t explain it.

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

It is the fundamental electric charge, the charge possessed by the electron (-1e) and the proton (+1e). Likewise, the positron, antimatter electron, has a +1e charge, and the anti-proton (aka “negatron,” though that sounds like a Transformer) has a -1e chage. We just usually leave the “e” out because it’s considered unnecessary, since it’s always the same electron charge everywhere.

An ion has “+1” charge if it is missing one electron relative to how many protons it has. An ion has a “-2” charge if it has two excess electrons relative to how many protons it has.

As for what charge *in general* is? It’s how much electric-ness there is in a given quantity of space. Just like how mass is simply a *property* that some objects have and others don’t (e.g. photons have no mass, only momentum), some objects have electric charge and others don’t.