Elementary charge

The elementary charge is the smallest unit of electric charge that exists naturally. It is the charge carried by a single proton or the opposite of that in an electron. This fundamental constant is approximately 1.602 x 10^-19 coulombs. All electric charges are multiples of this elementary charge, meaning larger charges are made by combining these basic units. Understanding this helps scientists describe how particles attract or repel each other electrically and is essential for studying atomic and subatomic behaviors.