Answer 1:
Science can get really confusing because a lot
of vocabulary words have different meanings
depending on the context in which they are used.
As you’ve pointed out, “neutral” can refer to a
lot of different phenomenon. Let’s start with
chemically neutral. This refers to a compound’s
position on the pH scale. A neutral compound
will be at pH=7 and is neither acidic nor basic.
Pure water is chemically neutral because the
amount of free-floating protons (H+)
equals the amount of free-floating hydroxide ions
(OH-). Electrical neutrality
compounds are those that do not carry a charge be
it positive or negative. In terms of atoms,
electric neutrality occurs when the amount of
protons is equal to the amount of electrons in the
atom.Atoms that are not electrically neutral
are called ions, and they carry a charge.
Thank you for the question and I hope this
explanation cleared up some of your confusion. |