In physics, a charged particle is a particle with an electric charge. For example, some elementary particles, like the electron or quarks are charged. Some composite particles like protons are charged particles. An ion, such as a molecule or atom with a surplus or deficit of electrons relative to protons are also charged particles.
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.
Charged particles are labeled as either positive (+) or negative (-). The designations are arbitrary. Nothing is inherent to a positively charged particle that makes it "positive", and the same goes for negatively charged particles.
Examples
Positively charged particles
- protons
- positrons (antielectrons)
- positively charged pions
- alpha particles
- cations
Negatively charged particles
- electrons
- antiprotons
- muons
- tauons
- negative charged pions
- anions
Particles with zero charge
- neutrons
- photons
- neutrinos
- neutral pions
- z boson
- higgs boson
- atoms
See also
- Charge carrier – refers to moving charged particles that create an electric current
References
External links
- Charged particle motion in E/B Field