Elektronladning

Elektronladning refers to the electric charge carried by a single electron. It is a fundamental property of matter and a quantized value, meaning it exists in discrete units. The symbol for the elementary charge is commonly denoted as 'e'. While the charge of an electron is negative, the magnitude of the charge of a single electron is equal to the magnitude of the charge of a single proton, which is positive.

The value of the elementary charge was first precisely measured by Robert Millikan in his oil-drop experiment in the early 20th century. The accepted value for the elementary charge is approximately 1.602 x 10^-19 coulombs. This is the smallest unit of electric charge observed in nature. All electric charges in the universe are integer multiples of this elementary charge.

The concept of electron charge is central to understanding electricity, electromagnetism, and the behavior of atoms. The force between charged particles is described by Coulomb's law, which is directly dependent on the magnitude of their charges and the distance between them. The flow of electrons, each carrying a unit of negative charge, constitutes electric current. The understanding and measurement of electron charge have been crucial for the development of numerous technologies.