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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
See also
- Charge carrier – refers to moving charged particles that create an electric current
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.