An atom, the fundamental building block of matter, contains two types of charged particles: protons and electrons. While there's a third kind of subatomic particle within the atom called a neutron, it carries no electrical charge.
Protons:
Located in the nucleus, the atom's central core.
Carry a positive electrical charge (equal but opposite to an electron's charge).
Number of protons determines the element's identity (e.g., all hydrogen atoms have 1 proton, all helium atoms have 2, etc.).
Protons contribute most of the atom's mass.
Electrons:
The interplay of these charges: