Question

what is the purpose of an electron and a neutron?

Answer 1

Electrons help equal out the positive charge of protons since the electrons have a negative charge. They also allow for covalent and ionic bonding. Valence electrons also determine how the atom reacts chemically with other atoms.

Neutrons have no charge, but they do have a slightly higher mass than protons and electrons. By varying different amounts of neutrons, we can observe different isotopes of the same element. The mass seen on the periodic table under each element is an average of all the isotopes.