Each atom has a nucleus containing protons, and all except the hydrogen nucleuses have neutrons as well. Neutrons have no electrical charge, but protons have a positive charge. Moving at high speed around the nucleus are little particles of energy called electrons, which have a negative charge. The number of protons and electrons in an atom is always the same. As opposite charges attract each other, the attraction between the protons and the electrons keeps the electrons around the nucleus, just as the force of gravity keeps the Moon circling around the Earth.
The tiny atomic nucleus is the centre of an atom constituting positively charged particles “protons” and uncharged particles “neutrons.” On the other hand, the extra nucleus part is a much larger region which is composed of a cloud of negatively charged particles called an electron. Electrons revolve around the orbit or centre of the nucleus. The attraction between the protons and electrons holds the structure of an atom together.
Generally, all atoms are composed of these three subatomic particles except hydrogen. Hydrogen is an exception to all atoms as it just contains one proton and one electron but lacks neutrons. The number of protons indicates what element an atom is whereas the number of electrons indicates the type of reactions will happen in an atom.
The atomic nucleus in the structure of the atom is composed of a fixed number of protons and the proton attracts the same number of electrons thereby making an atom electrically neutral. Ions are formed by addition or removal of electrons from an atom.
There is no net charge of an atom. Electrons are the negatively charged particle whereas protons are the positively charged particles. The equal positive charge of the proton and the negative charge of the electron cancel each other. Therefore, the atom has no net charge. In an atom that is neutral, the number of electrons revolving around the nucleus and the number of protons inside the nucleus are equal in number.