Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
An electron is a small particle found orbiting the centre of an atom.
About Electrons
- Electrons negatively charged.
- In conductors electrons can pass easily from one atom to the next.
- When electrons move it is called an electrical current.
To see how electrons are arranged around the nucleus of atoms or to see how electrons move around a circuit click on the pictures below to play a PHET simulation.
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Key Stage 4
Meaning
The Electron is a negatively charged particle found orbit the nucleus of an atom in electron shells.
About Electrons
- Electrons have a relative atomic charge of -1 and a relative atomic mass of 1/1860.
- The electrons and their shells are responsible for the chemistry of an atom.
- When atoms bond to form molecules some atoms can share their electrons forming a Covalent Bond, some transfer an electron from one atom to another forming an Ionic Bond while others allow electrons to pass freely between many atoms forming a Metallic Bond.
Key Stage 5
Meaning
An electron (e) is a type of lepton with a mass of 9.11x10-31kg and charge of -1.60x10-19 Coulombs.
About Electrons
- The electron is denoted with a lower case e.
- Electrons are fundamental particles as they are not made of any smaller particles.
- Electrons are affected by the:
| Lepton | Charge/e | Strangeness | Baryon Number | Lepton Number |
| \(Q=-1\) | \(S=0\) | \(B=0\) | \(L=+1\) | |
| \(Q=0\) | \(S=0\) | \(B=0\) | \(L=+1\) | |
| \(Q=+1\) | \(S=0\) | \(B=0\) | \(L=-1\) | |
| \(Q=0\) | \(S=0\) | \(B=0\) | \(L=-1\) |