Elementary charge (e) - the smallest amount of electric charge having the value of: e = 1.602 176 634 × 10⁻¹⁹ coulomb.¹⁾²⁾. This value is a constant in our universe.³⁾

A proton has a positive charge of +e, and electron to the exactly opposite, negative value of -e (neutron has zero charge). The matching of the amount of the quantum of positive and negative charges is extremely precise to the highest experimental accuracy that can be attained, at the level of 1 part in 10²⁰. If this was not the case then matter would violently disintegrate.⁴⁾⁵⁾

The electric charges in antimatter are reversed, with positron (equivalent of electron) being positive, and antiproton negative. It is possible for positive and negative charges (e.g. electron and positron) to combine and annihilate, converting to other form of energy. It is also possible for two opposing charges to be produced in some sub-atomic interaction. But such interactions always occur in pairs of positive-negative charges, so that the law of charge conservation never violated.⁶⁾ For example, during radioactive decay it is possible for a positron (e+) to be emitted from a proton (e+), which then becomes a neutron so that the amount of electric charge remains constant.⁷⁾

Electrically charged particles also exhibit intrinsic magnetic moment. Electron magnetic moment is especially strong and is responsible for the phenomenon of ferromagnetism.⁸⁾

Only such sub-atomic particles like quarks are thought to have electric electric charge in non-integer quantities e.g. -1/3 e or +2/3 e, but they only exists in configurations which add up to integer values of charge. For example, proton comprises three quarks (up, up, down), which add up to +1 e. Therefore, in any macroscopic application the charge is always quantised by the elementary amount of 1 e.⁹⁾¹⁰⁾

• Electric charge
• Electron
• Proton