Other forms: electrons
If you take chemistry, you will learn about electrons. Electrons are the smallest of the particles that make up an atom, and they carry a negative charge.
The number of protons and electrons is equal in a neutral atom. The hydrogen atom, for example, has just one electron and one proton. The uranium atom, on the other hand, has 92 protons, and therefore, 92 electrons. An electron is so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye, but neither can the atom itself.
Definitions of electron
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noun
an elementary particle with negative charge
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synonyms:
negatron
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types:
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delta ray
an electron ejected from matter by ionizing radiation
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free electron
electron that is not attached to an atom or ion or molecule but is free to move under the influence of an electric field
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photoelectron
an electron that is emitted from an atom or molecule by an incident photon
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valence electron
an electron in the outer shell of an atom which can combine with other atoms to form molecules
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type of:
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lepton
an elementary particle that participates in weak interactions; has a baryon number of 0
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: an elementary particle consisting of a charge of negative electricity equal to about 1.602 × 10−19 coulomb and having a mass when at rest of about 9.109 × 10−31 kilogram or about ¹/₁₈₃₆ that of a proton
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
To understand further why certain somatic hypermutational differences in specific alleles are so important, the researchers conducted a cryo-electron microscopy analysis of the previous antibody in question: CAB-I47.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023
Think of the electron as a wave, with a frequency corresponding to its energy and a wavelength related to its momentum.
—Sumeet Kulkarni, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2022
To understand string theory, imagine a rubber band, which represents a tiny, tiny electron.
—Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2021
So does the electron magically disappear from one energy level and magically reappear in another?
—Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2023
Hypotheses include objects as heavy as black holes and as lightweight as 100 millionths of an electron’s mass.
—Sophia Chen, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2022
The atoms, in turn, emit visible photons, with the total number of photons emitted proportional to the energy of the exciting electron.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2022
But one way to explain how an electron can be in two places at the same time is to assume that the universe splits in half.
—Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2021
The cast surfaces were then metalicized with golden powder, and scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the samples.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Feb. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘electron.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
electr- + -on entry 2
First Known Use
1891, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of electron was
in 1891
Dictionary Entries Near electron
Cite this Entry
“Electron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electron. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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Last Updated:
28 Mar 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
- Dictionary
- E
- Electron
- Sentences
- Electric current is the flow of electrons in an electrical conductor.In North America, electricity is generated at 60 Hz, which means the electrons move forward, then back again, 60 times in one second.An electron is an elementary particle that has a negative charge and is a constituent of all atoms.
- Electron tubes control the flow of power in electronic equipment using technology that has been around for about 80 years.
- Electron bulbs like CFL, LED, etc make use of electron emission to produce light, hence they are categorized as electronic devices.
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- Examples
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- Scientific
- Cultural
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ ih-lek-tron ]
/ ɪˈlɛk trɒn /
See the most commonly confused word associated with
proton
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun
Also called negatron. Physics, Chemistry. an elementary particle that is a fundamental constituent of matter, having a negative charge of 1.602 × 10−19 coulombs, a mass of 9.108 × 10−31 kilograms, and spin of ½, and existing independently or as the component outside the nucleus of an atom.
Electricity. a unit of charge equal to the charge on one electron.
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Origin of electron
Term first suggested in 1891 by Irish physicist G. J. Stoney (1826–1911); electr(ic) + -on (from the names of charged particles, as ion, cation, anion) with perhaps accidental allusion to Greek ḗlektron amber (see electric)
Words nearby electron
electromotive force, electromotive series, electromyogram, electromyograph, electromyography, electron, electron affinity, electron camera, electron capture, electron carrier, electron diffraction
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to electron
heat, service, current, galvanism, ignition, juice, light, spark, tension, utilities, voltage, hot stuff
How to use electron in a sentence
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More about partons — Science News, February 13, 1971Experiments in which protons and neutrons were bombarded with high-energy electrons have given indications that protons and neutrons are not amorphous masses but composed of distinct subparticles.
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When a photon crossed each molecule, it booted an electron — first from one hydrogen atom, then the other.
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Measurements made with hydrogen atoms, which have a single electron orbiting a proton, gave us one answer.
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This part of the sky contains a high density of free ions and electrons, and when the electrons collide with other particles, energy is released as light and elves take form.
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Examining thin sections of the graft with electron microscopy, he saw that the cells had openings larger than any previously seen.
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You have the atom, which has the neutron, the electron, the proton.
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But with an electron micgrograph to illustrate what was fueling the outbreak, they were able to gain the trust of the people.
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When the gamma rays enter the sleeve, they interact with that photon gas, annihilating into electron-positron pairs.
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Back in 1897, British physicist J.J. Thomson discovered the electron, which, as of then, was the biggest finding of all time.
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No one imagined in 1897 what the electron would do, or how it would change humanity.
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The loss of one electron by an atom leaves a unit positive charge on the particle.
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The electron is a stress in the ether, nothing more, but it is the stuff of which all matter is made.
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«I think I am getting somewhere on my photon-neutrino-electron interchange-cycle,» he announced.
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Or there may be an inelastic collision, when the photon hits an atom and knocks out an electron—the old photoelectric effect.
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The Greek name for amber, ηλεκτρον (electron), is the root from which our word electricity is derived.
British Dictionary definitions for electron
noun
a stable elementary particle present in all atoms, orbiting the nucleus in numbers equal to the atomic number of the element in the neutral atom; a lepton with a negative charge of 1.602 176 462 × 10 –19 coulomb, a rest mass of 9.109 381 88 × 10 –31 kilogram, a radius of 2.817 940 285 × 10 –15 metre, and a spin of 1/2
Word Origin for electron
C19: from electro- + -on
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for electron
A stable elementary particle in the lepton family having a mass at rest of 9.107 X 10-28 grams and a negative electric charge of approximately 1.602 X 10-19 coulombs. Electrons orbit about the positively charged nuclei of atoms in distinct orbitals of different energy levels, called shells. Electrons are the primary charge carriers in electric current. Compare positron. See also electromagnetism elementary particle ion. See Table at subatomic particle.
A positron or a negatron.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for electron
notes for electron
The movement of large numbers of electrons through conductors constitutes an electric current.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Electrons are subatomic particles. Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Of these three particles, the electron has the smallest mass. Here is the definition of the electron, along with its word origin, history, and interesting facts.
Electron Definition
An electron is a stable subatomic particle with a negative electrical charge. Unlike protons and neutrons, electrons are not constructed from even smaller components. Each electron carries one unit of negative charge (1.602 x 10-19 coulomb) and has a very small mass as compared with that of a neutron or proton. The mass of an electron is 9.10938 x 10-31 kg. This is about 1/1836 the mass of a proton.
A common symbol for an electron is e–. The electron’s antiparticle, which carries a positive electric charge, is called a positron or antielectron. A positron is denoted using the symbol e+ or β+. When an electron and a positron collide, both particles are annihilated and energy is released in the form of gamma rays.
Where to Find Electrons
Electrons are found free in nature (free electrons) and bound within atoms. Electrons are responsible for the negatively-charged component of an atom. In an atom, electrons orbit around the positively-charged atomic nucleus.
In solids, electrons are the primary means of conducting current. This is because protons are bound within the nucleus, so they are not as mobile as electrons. In liquids, current carriers are more often ions. Interactions between the electrons of atoms and molecules produce chemical reactions. Chemical bonds form when electrons are shared between atoms.
History and Word Origin
The possibility of electrons was predicted by Richard Laming (1838-1851), Irish physicist G. Johnstone Stoney (1874), and other scientists. The term “electron” was first suggested by Stoney in 1891, although the electron was not discovered until 1897, by British physicist J.J. Thomson.
Although electron sciences dates to the 19th and 20th centuries, the words “electron” and “electricity” trace their origins to the ancient Greeks. The ancient Greek word for amber was elektron. The Greeks noticed rubbing fur with amber caused the amber to attract small objects. This is the earliest recorded experimentation with electricity. The English scientist William Gilbert coined the term “electricus” to refer to this attractive property.
Electron Facts
- Electrons are considered to be a type of elementary particle because they are not made up of smaller components. They are a type of particle belonging to the lepton family and have the smallest mass of any charged lepton or other charged particle.
- In quantum mechanics, electrons are considered to be identical to each other because no intrinsic physical property may be used to distinguish between them. Electrons may swap positions with each other without causing an observable change in a system.
- Protons and electrons have equal, but opposite charges. Electrons are attracted to positively-charged particles, such as protons.
- Whether or not a substance has a net electric charge is determined by the balance between the number of electrons and the positive charge of atomic nuclei. If there are more electrons than positive charges, a material is said to be negatively charged. If there is an excess of protons, the object is considered to be positively charged. If the number of electrons and protons is balanced, a material is said to be electrically neutral.
- Electrons in a metal behave as if they were free electrons and can move to produce a net flow of charge termed an electric current. When electrons (or protons) move, a magnetic field is generated.
- Electrons have properties of both particles and waves. They can be diffracted, like photons, yet can collide with each other and other particles, like other matter.
- Atomic theory describes electrons as surrounding the proton/neutron nucleus of an atom in shells. These shells are regions of probability. Some are spherical, but other shapes also occur. While it’s theoretically possible to find an electron in the atomic nucleus, the highest probability of finding one is within its shell.
- An electron has a spin or intrinsic angular momentum of 1/2.
- Scientists are capable of isolating and trapping a single electron in a device called a Penning trap.
- From examining single electrons, researchers have found the largest electron radius is 10-22 meters. Because electrons are very small, they are treated like point charges, which are electrical charges with no physical dimensions.
- Matter is much more abundant than antimatter in the universe, but there may once have been equal numbers of electrons and positrons. According to the Big Bang theory, photons gained enough energy within the first millisecond of the explosion to react with each other to form electron-positron pairs. These pairs annihilated each other, emitting photons. For unknown reasons, there came a time when there were more electrons than positrons and more protons than antiprotons. The surviving protons, neutrons, and electrons began to react with each other, forming atoms.
- Electrons are used in many practical applications. These include electricity, vacuum tubes, photomultiplier tubes, cathode ray tubes, particle beams for research and welding, and the free-electron laser.
References
- Buchwald, J.Z.; Warwick, A. (2001). Histories of the Electron: The Birth of Microphysics. MIT Press. pp. 195–203. ISBN 978-0-262-52424-7.
- Thomson, J.J. (1897). “Cathode Rays”. Philosophical Magazine. 44 (269): 293–316. doi:10.1080/14786449708621070