Question

What is a fundamental charge? Write its value.
OR
Where will an electron move in an electric field, either high potential side or low potential side? And why?

Hint:

Electrons move opposite to the direction of the electric field because they are negatively charged. The electric field pushes positive charges toward lower potential and negative charges (electrons) toward higher potential.

Answer 1

a. Fundamental Charge:
The fundamental charge is the smallest unit of electric charge that is carried by a single electron or proton. This charge is denoted by \( e \). It is the basic unit of charge in the system of SI units.
The value of the fundamental charge is:
\[ e = 1.6 \times 10^{-19} \, \text{Coulombs}. \]
This is the charge on an electron, which is negative, and the same magnitude is carried by a proton but with a positive sign.
b. Movement of Electron in an Electric Field:
In an electric field, an electron will move towards the low potential side. This is because electrons carry a negative charge, and in an electric field, the direction of force on a negative charge is opposite to the direction of the field.
Hence, an electron moves from a region of higher potential to a region of lower potential, which is in line with the direction opposite to the electric field vector.