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electron

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The definition of an electron is the lightest basic electrically-charged particle.

(noun)

An example of an electron is what orbits the nucleus of an atom.

See electron in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Particle Physics the lightest elementary particle with an electric charge: it is a lepton with a negative charge of c. 1.602 × 10 coulomb and a rest mass of c. 9.109 × 10 kg (c. 0.511 MeV/c), which is c. of the mass of a proton: ordinarily an atom has the same number of negative electrons around the nucleus as the number of positive protons in the nucleus

Origin: coined (1891) by G. J. Stoney (1826-1911), Ir physicist < electr(ic) + -on

See electron in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Abbr. e

A stable subatomic particle in the lepton family having a rest mass of 9.1066 × 10^-28 grams and a unit negative electric charge of approximately 1.602 × 10^-19 coulombs. See Table at subatomic particle.

Origin:

Origin: electr(ic)

Origin: + -on¹

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