Atoms that have lost electrons and become positively charged are called.

• A. Friction
• B. Protons
• C. Cations
• D. Neutrons

Answer: (C)

Losing electrons leaves more positively charged protons than negatively charged electrons, so the atom becomes a positively charged ion. This kind of charged atom is called a cation. For contrast, protons are the positively charged particles in the nucleus, and neutrons are neutral; neither term names a charged atom. Friction can transfer charge between objects, but it doesn’t name a type of charged atom. So the term for a positively charged atom after electron loss is cation.