The key difference between proton and electron is that proton is a subatomic particle found in a nucleus of an atom, whereas electrons are particles orbiting the nucleus.
Atoms are the building blocks of all existing substances. An atom contains a nucleus, which has protons and neutrons. Electrons circle around the nucleus in orbitals. In addition, there are other small subatomic particles in the nucleus. Most of the space in an atom is empty. The attractive forces between the positively charged nucleus (positive charge due to protons) and the negatively charged electrons maintain the atom’s shape.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Proton
3. What is Electron
4. Side by Side Comparison – Proton vs Electron in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Proton?
Proton is a subatomic particle in the atoms’ nucleus and has a positive charge. We generally denote it by p. When scientists discovered the electron, they had no idea about a particle called proton. Goldstein discovered a positively charged particle that was produced from gases. These were known as anode rays. Unlike electrons, these had different charge to mass ratios depending on the gas used. After various experiments by many scientists, finally, Rutherford discovered the proton in 1917.
The number of protons in an atom of a chemical element gives its atomic number. It is because the atomic number is equal to the number of protons an element has in its nucleus. For example, the atomic number of sodium is 11; thus, sodium has eleven electrons in the nucleus.
Figure 01: General Structure of an Atom
Moreover, proton has a +1 charge, and its mass is 1.6726×10−27 kg. Moreover, it contains three quarks, two up quarks and one down quark. It is a stable particle because its decaying lifetime is very long. The simplest element hydrogen has only one proton. When the hydrogen atom releases its electron, it forms an H+ ion, which has a proton. Therefore, in chemistry, the term “proton” refers to the H+ ion. H+ is important in acid-base reactions and is an extremely reactive species. There is more than one proton in all the other elements except hydrogen. Usually, in neutral atoms, the number of negatively charged electrons and the number of positively charged protons are similar.
What is an Electron?
An electron has the symbol e and has a negative (-1) electrical charge. The mass of an electron is 9.1093×10−31 kg, which makes it the lightest subatomic particle. Electron was discovered by J.J. Thompson in 1897, and the name was given by Stoney. Discovery of the electron was a turning point in sciences as it led to the explanation of electricity, chemical bonding, magnetic properties, thermal conductivity, spectroscopy, and many other phenomena. Electrons reside in orbitals of atoms and they have opposite spins.
The electrons in an orbital exist as pairs of electrons. Each pair has two electrons with opposite spin. The arrangement of electrons in orbitals can be given in electron configuration. For example, the hydrogen atom has only one electron in its 1s orbital; thus, the electron configuration is 1s1. The electrons in an atom are of two types: core electrons and valence electrons. The core electrons reside in the inner orbitals and do not involve in chemical bonding. Valence electrons reside in outermost orbitals and directly involve in chemical bonding.
What is the Difference Between Proton and Electron?
Proton is a subatomic particle in the atoms’ nucleus and has a positive charge while electron is a subatomic particle with the symbol e and a negative (-1) electrical charge. The key difference between proton and electron is that proton is a subatomic particle present in a nucleus of an atom, whereas electrons orbit the nucleus. Moreover, the mass of a proton is 1.6726×10−27 kg while the mass of an electron is 9.1093×10−31 kg. Therefore, electrons’ mass is 1/1836 of the mass of a proton.
Besides, one more significant difference between proton and electron is that the protons do not move but electrons move continuously around the nucleus. Protons do not take part in normal chemical reactions, but they can help in nuclear reactions while electrons play a major role in chemical reactions. So, this is an important difference between proton and electron.
Summary – Proton vs Electron
Protons and electrons are subatomic particles in an atom. Other than these, the other important subatomic particle in atoms is neutron. The key difference between proton and electron is that protons are subatomic particles present in a nucleus of an atom, whereas electrons are subatomic particles orbiting the nucleus.
Reference:
1. Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “Proton Definition – Chemistry Glossary.” ThoughtCo, Dec. 5, 2018, Available here.
2. Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “Electron Definition – Chemistry Glossary.” ThoughtCo, Jun. 22, 2018, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Atom-struc” By AhmadSherif – Own work, (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia