<P> The electron is a subatomic particle, symbol e − or β −, with a negative elementary electric charge . Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary particles because they have no known components or substructure . The electron has a mass that is approximately 1 / 1836 that of the proton . Quantum mechanical properties of the electron include an intrinsic angular momentum (spin) of a half - integer value, expressed in units of the reduced Planck constant, ħ . As it is a fermion, no two electrons can occupy the same quantum state, in accordance with the Pauli exclusion principle . Like all elementary particles, electrons exhibit properties of both particles and waves: they can collide with other particles and can be diffracted like light . The wave properties of electrons are easier to observe with experiments than those of other particles like neutrons and protons because electrons have a lower mass and hence a longer De Broglie wavelength for a given energy . </P> <P> Electrons play an essential role in numerous physical phenomena, such as electricity, magnetism, chemistry and thermal conductivity, and they also participate in gravitational, electromagnetic and weak interactions . Since an electron has charge, it has a surrounding electric field, and if that electron is moving relative to an observer it will generate a magnetic field . Electromagnetic fields produced from other sources (not those self - produced) will affect the motion of an electron according to the Lorentz force law . Electrons radiate or absorb energy in the form of photons when they are accelerated . Laboratory instruments are capable of trapping individual electrons as well as electron plasma by the use of electromagnetic fields . Special telescopes can detect electron plasma in outer space . Electrons are involved in many applications such as electronics, welding, cathode ray tubes, electron microscopes, radiation therapy, lasers, gaseous ionization detectors and particle accelerators . </P> <P> Interactions involving electrons with other subatomic particles are of interest in fields such as chemistry and nuclear physics . The Coulomb force interaction between the positive protons within atomic nuclei and the negative electrons without, allows the composition of the two known as atoms . Ionization or differences in the proportions of negative electrons versus positive nuclei changes the binding energy of an atomic system . The exchange or sharing of the electrons between two or more atoms is the main cause of chemical bonding . In 1838, British natural philosopher Richard Laming first hypothesized the concept of an indivisible quantity of electric charge to explain the chemical properties of atoms . Irish physicist George Johnstone Stoney named this charge' electron' in 1891, and J.J. Thomson and his team of British physicists identified it as a particle in 1897 . Electrons can also participate in nuclear reactions, such as nucleosynthesis in stars, where they are known as beta particles . Electrons can be created through beta decay of radioactive isotopes and in high - energy collisions, for instance when cosmic rays enter the atmosphere . The antiparticle of the electron is called the positron; it is identical to the electron except that it carries electrical and other charges of the opposite sign . When an electron collides with a positron, both particles can be totally annihilated, producing gamma ray photons . </P> <P> The ancient Greeks noticed that amber attracted small objects when rubbed with fur . Along with lightning, this phenomenon is one of humanity's earliest recorded experiences with electricity . In his 1600 treatise De Magnete, the English scientist William Gilbert coined the New Latin term electricus, to refer to this property of attracting small objects after being rubbed . Both electric and electricity are derived from the Latin ēlectrum (also the root of the alloy of the same name), which came from the Greek word for amber, ἤλεκτρον (ēlektron). </P>

Would an electron be considered a type of atom