What is the Smallest Quantum of Charge? - AJ

[ajsingh]

Hello all.

I was wondering - what is the smallest possible quantum of charge? Is it 'e', the charge on an electron? Then how are the charges on quarks explained? Am I right in thinking that the one quantum of charge is the smallest charge that can possibly exist?

AJ

 

[ZapperZ]

Hello all.

I was wondering - what is the smallest possible quantum of charge? Is it 'e', the charge on an electron? Then how are the charges on quarks explained? Am I right in thinking that the one quantum of charge is the smallest charge that can possibly exist?

AJ

"e" is the unit of charge. I'm not sure if you can consider it as a "quantum" of charge.

Is it the smallest charge that we have detected. Nope. 3 Nobel Prizes can point to that. Fractional quantum hall effect, and the resulting fractional charges, (in units of 1/3e and 1/5e) have been measured in 2D semiconductor structures.

Zz.