electron
noun
elec·tron
| \ i-ˈlek-ˌträn
\
\
Definition of electron
: 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
Examples of electron in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To absorb light, an electron has to absorb a photon to move from one state to a higher energy state. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Ceramics enter a new era with laser-welded joints," 30 Aug. 2019 For instance, a project called the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment in Germany aims to measure neutrino mass by observing beta decays in which a neutron transforms into a proton by releasing a neutrino and an electron. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, "Mysterious Neutrinos Get New Mass Estimate," 26 Aug. 2019 The researchers discovered the mass to be 10 million times lighter than an electron. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Scientists share new details about mysterious 'ghost particle'," 22 Aug. 2019 Quantum bits, or qubits, which are often atoms, electrons or photons, can exist as zeros and ones at the same time, or in any position between, a flexibility that allows them to process information in new ways. — Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, "The quantum revolution is coming, and Chinese scientists are at the forefront," 18 Aug. 2019 Carbon, as the sixth element, has six electrons, two in an inner shell and four in an outer shell. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Create Weird Form of Carbon That Could One Day Power an AI Brain," 15 Aug. 2019 Even when far apart, entangled particles share a mysterious connection; in the case of two entangled electrons, whatever happens to one’s spin influences that of the other, instantaneously. — Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, "“Qutrit” Experiments Are a First in Quantum Teleportation," 6 Aug. 2019 Within a couple of years the group had solved pieces of the problem, including how electrons, which normally repel one another, could be mutually attracted and pair up. — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, "J. Robert Schrieffer, 88, Dies; Insight on Superconductivity Led to Nobel," 6 Aug. 2019 In those days, one of the outstanding questions was whether the space between planets should be considered absolutely empty, or full of loose electrons, magnetic fields, and stuff from the sun. — Eugene Parker, National Geographic, "Dear Parker Solar Probe: How 'touching the sun' caps off a lifetime in science," 5 Apr. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for electron
electron
noun
English Language Learners Definition of electron
physics
: a very small particle of matter that has a negative charge of electricity and that travels around the nucleus of an atom
See the full definition for electron in the English Language Learners Dictionary
electron
noun
elec·tron
| \ i-ˈlek-ˌträn
\
\
Kids Definition of electron
: a very small particle that has a negative charge of electricity and travels around the nucleus of an atom
electron
noun
elec·tron
| \ i-ˈlek-ˌträn
\
\
Medical Definition of electron
: 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 9.109534 × 10−28 gram or about ¹/₁₈₃₆ that of a proton
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