EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -A stable atom has a net charge of 0. In other words, it has an equal number of protons and electrons. The positive protons cancel out the negative electrons. When the number of electrons does not equal the number of protons, the atom is ionized.

Detailed explanation-2: -A neutral, or stable, atom is composed of an equal amount of three components: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge, neutrons are neutral, and electrons have a negative charge.

Detailed explanation-3: -The stability of atoms depends on whether or not their outer-most shell is filled with electrons. If the outer shell is filled, the atom is stable. Atoms with unfilled outer shells are unstable, and will usually form chemical bonds with other atoms to achieve stability.

Detailed explanation-4: -Why form chemical bonds? The basic answer is that atoms are trying to reach the most stable (lowest-energy) state that they can. Many atoms become stable when their valence shell is filled with electrons or when they satisfy the octet rule (by having eight valence electrons).