Electron

How it is used

Its mass is about 9.11 × 10⁻³¹ kg, roughly 1/1840 of a proton's. Electrons are emitted, absorbed and accelerated, and they move between energy levels. The electronvolt (eV) is the energy an electron gains when accelerated through 1 V.

Example sentences

1. When ultraviolet light hits the zinc plate, electrons are emitted from its surface.

2. In a copper wire the electrons drift slowly, even though the current starts almost instantly.

Common collocations

• free electrons
• electron beam
• charge on an electron
• emit electrons
• electronvolt (eV)

Related terms

• atomThe smallest unit of a chemical element, made of a tiny positive nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons. Most of an atom is empty space.
• electric chargeA basic property of matter that makes particles feel electric forces. Charge can be positive or negative; like charges repel and unlike charges attract. It is measured in coulombs (C).
• electric currentThe rate at which electric charge flows past a point in a circuit. It is measured in amperes (A), and one ampere is one coulomb of charge per second.
• photoelectric effectThe release of electrons from a metal surface when light of high enough frequency shines on it. It showed that light energy comes in packets called photons.
• energy levelOne of the fixed amounts of energy that an electron in an atom is allowed to have. Electrons move between levels by absorbing or emitting photons.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• electron · Chemistry

More terms: Atomic and Nuclear Physics

• nucleus
• isotope
• radioactive decay
• half-life
• nuclear fission
• nuclear fusion