The neutron and the proton combine to form the nucleus of the atom, and the electron orbits the nucleus. The proton has a ____ charge.

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Protons carry a positive electric charge. In an atom, the nucleus is made of protons and neutrons; neutrons have no charge, while protons have a positive one. That positive charge in the nucleus creates an attractive force on the negatively charged electrons that orbit around it, holding the atom together. So the nucleus is positively charged because of the protons, whereas neutrons don’t contribute to charge. If the proton were negative or neutral, it wouldn’t produce this binding effect the same way. A neutral atom has equal numbers of protons and electrons, balancing the overall charge.