ELECTRON

BACK

The electron is a subatomic particle, symbol e⁻ or β⁻ , whose electric charge is negative one elementary charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary particles because they have no known components or substructure.

STATISTICS

Fermion

DISCOVERED

J. J. Thomson (1897)

ELECTRIC CHARGE

SYMBOL

−1 e; −1.602176634×10−19 C; −4.80320451(10)×10−10 esu

e−, β−

COMPOSITION

Elementary particle

ELECTRON

STATISTICS

Fermion

DISCOVERED

J. J. Thomson (1897)

ELECTRIC CHARGE

SYMBOL

−1 e; −1.602176634×10−19 C; −4.80320451(10)×10−10 esu

e−, β−

COMPOSITION

Elementary particle

MEAN LIFETIME

stable

(> 6.6×1028 yr)

GENERATION

First