What is the minimum charge on a particle?
Correct Answer :
1.6 x 10-19 Coulomb
Solution :
The correct option is 1.6 x 10-19 Coulomb.
Electric charge is a quantized physical property. This means that the charge on any object or particle cannot take arbitrary values; instead, it must always be an integral multiple of a basic, fundamental unit of charge. This fundamental unit is the magnitude of the charge of a single electron or proton.
The smallest stable, independent charge known to exist in nature is the elementary charge, denoted by the symbol e. The charge of an electron is and the charge of a proton is .
The experimentally determined value of this fundamental constant e is approximately:
Therefore, the minimum possible charge that an isolated, independent particle can carry is this elementary unit of charge, which is 1.6 x 10-19 Coulomb.
Access expert-curated educational resources and study materials—completely free.
Create, conduct, and manage professional online assessments with Crey. Perfect for teachers and institutes.
Copyright © 2026 Crey. All Rights Reserved.