Charged particle

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