Charged particle
In physics, a charged particle is a particle with an electric charge. It may be an ion, such as a molecule or atom with a surplus or deficit of electrons relative to protons. It can also be an electron or a proton, or another elementary particle, which are all believed to have the same charge[1] (except antimatter). Another charged particle may be an atomic nucleus devoid of electrons, such as an alpha particle.
A plasma is a collection of charged particles, atomic nuclei and separated electrons, but can also be a gas containing a significant proportion of charged particles.
Charges are arbitrarily labeled as positive(+) or negative(-). Only the existence of two 'types' of charges is known, there isn't anything inherent about positive charges that makes them positive, and the same goes for the negative charge.
Examples
Positively charged particles
- protons and atomic nuclei
- positrons (antielectrons)
- alpha particles
- positive charged pions
- cations
Negatively charged particles
- electrons
- antiprotons
- muons
- tauons
- negative charged pions
- anions
Particles without an electric charge
References
- Frisch, David H.; Thorndike, Alan M. (1964). Elementary Particles. Princeton, New Jersey: David Van Nostrand. p. 54.
- "Ionizing radiation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-11.
- "Specific Ionization & LET". www.mun.ca. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- "α입자와 물질과의 상호작용". Radiation & biology & etc. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- "7_1.3 The Bragg Curve". www.med.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
- "range | particle radiation". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2016-06-21.