What is the charge of an electron?

• A. Positive
• B. Negative
• C. Neutral
• D. Both Positive and Negative

Answer: (B)

Electrons have a negative electric charge. This is a fundamental property defined as minus one unit of the elementary charge. In atoms, the number of electrons typically balances the number of protons, so the atom is neutral overall; protons carry a positive charge and neutrons are neutral. The negative charge of the electron explains why electrons are attracted to the positively charged nucleus and why they repel each other, shaping how atoms and molecules behave. The other options don’t fit: a positive charge is the charge of a proton, neutral describes a neutron, and a single particle doesn’t carry both positive and negative charges.