text: why are there the same # of protons as there are electrons?   protons carry a positive electric charge.  electrons carry a negative electric charge.  the magnitude of the charge carried on both the, positive, protons and the, negative, electrons are equal....meaning that the total electric charge on an object is zero only if the number of protons exactly equals the number of electrons.  in an atom, for example, the net electric charge is zero and there are equal numbers of protons and electrons.  when an atom has an unequal number of protons and electrons (in the case when the atom is oxidized or reduced...loosing electrons or gaining electrons), the atom becomes an ion and has a net charge.  if something does have an unequal balance between protons and electrons and has a net charge, it will be attracted/repelled to other objects with a net charge as well.  like charges repel and dissimilar charges attract, so all the + charges will attract all the - charges and vice-versa, eventually forming overall neutral objects.