Charge number

The electrical charge number (also charge quantum number ) is the size of the dimension number , which multiplied by the electrical elementary charge results in the electrical charge of a particle or system (e.g. an ion ): ${\displaystyle z}$ ${\displaystyle e}$ ${\displaystyle Q}$

${\displaystyle Q=z\cdot e\Leftrightarrow z={\frac {Q}{e}}.}$

For example, the charge of a chloride ion is −1 ·  e . That is, its charge number is equal to −1. ${\displaystyle \mathrm {Cl} ^{-}}$

For a nucleus that can be considered to be an ion which all electrons lost, the charge number is identical to the number of protons Z .

In particle physics (where this cannot lead to misunderstandings) the electric charge Q is usually given in units of the elementary charge, i.e. actually the number of charges .

The elementary particles have whole numbers of charges, with the exception of the quarks that carry color charges (z = ± 1/3 , ± 2/3) and the hypothetical leptoquarks (z = ± 1/3 , ± 4/3).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ entry to batch number z . In: IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the “Gold Book”) . doi : 10.1351 / goldbook.C00993 Version: 2.3.3.