To determine the overall charge of a lithium atom with three protons, three neutrons, and three electrons, let's analyze the information given:
1. Protons:
- A lithium atom has three protons.
- Each proton carries a positive charge of +1.
- Therefore, the total positive charge from the protons is [tex]\(3 \times +1 = +3\)[/tex].
2. Neutrons:
- Neutrons do not carry any charge; hence they do not contribute to the overall charge.
3. Electrons:
- A lithium atom has three electrons.
- Each electron carries a negative charge of -1.
- Therefore, the total negative charge from the electrons is [tex]\(3 \times -1 = -3\)[/tex].
To find the overall charge of the atom, we sum the charges from the protons and electrons:
[tex]\[ \text{Overall charge} = (\text{Charge from protons}) + (\text{Charge from electrons}) \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Overall charge} = (+3) + (-3) \][/tex]
[tex]\[ \text{Overall charge} = 0 \][/tex]
So, the overall charge of the lithium atom is 0.
