Physics · Glossary

What is Elementary charge?

Definition 13.5 High School Physics · Chapter 13 — The Fundamental Interactions

Charge is grained: every observed charge is a whole multiple of the elementary charge e=1.60×1019Ce = 1.60 \times 10^{-19}\,\mathrm{C}. The proton carries +e+e, the electron e-e, the neutron 00; a charge qq holds N=q/eN = \abs{q}/e elementary charges.

Read in context →