Which subatomic particle has a positive charge?

• A. Electrons
• B. Protons
• C. Neutrons
• D. Positrons

Answer: (B)

Subatomic particles can carry electric charge, and in ordinary atoms the positive charge is carried by the proton. Protons reside in the nucleus and give the atom its positive charge (while electrons, outside the nucleus, carry negative charge and neutrons have no charge). A proton has a positive charge equal in magnitude to the electron’s negative charge. A positron is also positively charged, but it’s the antimatter counterpart of the electron and isn’t the usual constituent of atoms. So the particle that carries positive charge in a typical atomic context is the proton.