Speaking in general terms, electrons are leptons. Not all leptons have a charge but electrons are charged leptons. Electrons, alongside protons and neutrons, are subatomic particles that makeup atoms and every existing matter.
The protons and neutrons make up the nucleus of the atom while the electrons revolve around the nucleus. The subatomic particles have charges that could be positive, negative, or neutral. We’ll be considering the charge of the electron in this article.
Electrons are small but they influence the properties of an atom such as its charge, reactivity, and ability to form bonds with other atoms. Read along to find out the charge and other important properties of the electron.
What is the charge of an electron?
Electrons have an electric charge of -1, represented as -e. The opposite of electrons are protons which have an electric charge of +1.
What is the charge of an electron in coulombs?
One electron has an elementary charge of -1.602 x 10-19 C.
What is the mass of an electron?
One electron weighs 9.1093837 × 10-31 kilograms. The resting mass of an electron is nothing compared to that of a proton and neutron. It is about 1/1,836 the mass of a proton.
Furthermore, the mass of an electron is inconsequential such that it does not influence the mass number of an atom.
The mass of an electron in amu (atomic mass unit) is calculated by dividing the mass of an electron in kg by the mass of 1 amu.
Mathematically,
9.109 x 10-31 kg / 1.66 x 10-27 kg
= 0.000548 amu
What is the charge-to-mass ratio of an electron?
The charge-to-mass (e/m) ratio of an electron is calculated by dividing the charge of an electron, 1.602 x 10-19 C, by the resting mass, 9.1093837 × 10-31 kg.
e/m = 1.602 x 10-19 C / 9.1093837 × 10-31 kg
e/m = 1.758820 × 1011 C/kg
What is the charge-to-mass ratio of an electron compared to a proton?
The charge-to-mass ratio of an electron is greater than that of a proton. This is because the mass of an electron is smaller than that of a proton. Both particles have the same charge but varying masses.
The e/m of an electron is 1.758820 × 1011 C/kg and the e/m of a proton is 9.57898 x 10-7 C/kg. Therefore, an electron has a greater e/m ratio than a proton.
What is the charge-to-mass ratio of an electron compared to a neutron?
The e/m of a neutron is zero because it has a zero charge. Neutrons have the least charge-to-mass ratio of all three particles that make up an atom.
FAQs
Is an electron bigger than a proton?
No, it is not. Of the three particles that make an atom: electrons, protons, and neutrons, electrons are the smallest. One proton is 1,840 times heavier than an electron.
Is an electron the same as an alpha particle?
No, it is not. An alpha particle is a helium nucleus, not an electron. Electrons are more like beta particles. However, beta particles are radioactive emissions from unstable atoms.
Do electrons determine the charge of an element?
Yes, they do. The number of electrons around the nucleus of an atom determines whether or not it carries a charge.
The loss or gain of electrons determines whether the atom will form a cation or anion, respectively. The number of electrons lost or gained will determine the value of the charge.
Conclusion
Electrons are the negative subatomic particles that makeup atoms. They are also the simplest subatomic particles. Unlike protons and neutrons, they do not contain smaller particles.
Electrons are very small. As mentioned earlier, they are about 1/1,836 the size of a proton or neutron. The size of an electron does not affect the mass number of the atom. The charge, on the other hand, affects the reactivity and ability of an atom to bind to other atoms.
You can also learn about how many electrons are in a coulomb of electricity.
Thanks for reading.