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Exciting Electrons

How big are electrons?

As Small as a pinhead?
As Small as a grain of sand?
As Small as a cell?

NO, electrons are much smaller. Even with the most high powered microscope, we still can’t SEE electrons, so how do we know they exist?

Electrons are too small to see, but we can WEIGH them.

The mass of one electron = 9.10 x 10-28 grams or 0.000000000000000000000000000910 grams!

In order to obtain a gram of electrons, we would need approximately 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 electrons

Therefore, 2.7 billion billion billion (2.7 x1027 or 2 700 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000) electrons would weigh the same as a penny!

Although we cannot see electrons, we can see that they have been excited and involved in reactions due to colour changes or the production of light.


Next - Exciting Electrons using LIGHT

Previous - Electrons in Molecules

Back to the Topics List

What are electrons? - Where are Electrons? - Electrons in Molecules - How big are electrons? - Exciting Electrons using LIGHT - Exciting Electrons using ELECTRICITY - Exciting Electrons using CHEMICALS - Oxidation & Reduction - Oxidation Experiment - Sodium & Water - Reduction Experiment - Potassium Permanganate Volcano - Oxidation experiment - Ammonia - What is Electricity?

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