What is the Charge of an Electron?
Answer – The charge of an electron is –1.602×10⁻¹⁹ C, or –1e.
Explanation:
The atom, which is the fundamental unit of matter, is electrically neutral because the combined charge of all its electrons is balanced by that of all its protons. This is possible due to electrons having a charge that is equal in magnitude but opposite in sign to that of protons.
The value of this common charge is 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ coulombs (C). It is a fundamental physical constant called the elementary charge and is denoted by qₑ, or simply e; it is the smallest electrical charge that can exist freely.
Since the charge of an electron is a negative value, it is given by –1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ C, or –1e.
