Electron
An electron is a fundamental subatomic particle with a negative electric charge, found in atoms and responsible for electricity and chemical bonding.
9.109 × 10⁻³¹ kgMassBeyond the eye
Electron vs Proton
What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?
Two things. One honest scale.
Meet the pair
What these two things are
Proton
A proton is a positively charged particle found in the nucleus of atoms, made up of quarks.
1.673 × 10⁻²⁷ kgMassProton has about 1,840 times the mass of Electron.
Bar length measures mass, not physical size.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Electron
The length shown is the electron Compton wavelength, not its diameter. In the Standard Model the electron is treated as pointlike; the cloud is a schematic.
NIST — 2022 CODATA fundamental constants
The marked mass is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Proton
Twice the approximately 0.8409 fm charge radius. The charge distribution has no hard boundary; the illustration is schematic.
NIST — 2022 CODATA fundamental constants
The marked mass is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Change the comparison
Put something else beside it.
Measurement details
Why these numbers?
The visual compares mass with mass. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.
Electron
9.109 × 10⁻³¹ kgMass · measured constant
The length shown is the electron Compton wavelength, not its diameter. In the Standard Model the electron is treated as pointlike; the cloud is a schematic.
Proton
1.673 × 10⁻²⁷ kgMass · measured constant
Twice the approximately 0.8409 fm charge radius. The charge distribution has no hard boundary; the illustration is schematic.
- Comparing
- Mass ↔ Mass
- Relative size
- Proton is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 1,840.
How to read the visual
The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.
- Electron is labelled measured constant; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
- Proton is labelled measured constant; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
Fundamental physicsElectron9.109 × 10⁻³¹ kgAn electron is a fundamental subatomic particle with a negative electric charge, found in atoms and responsible for electricity and chemical bonding.Fundamental physicsProton1.682 fmA proton is a positively charged particle found in the nucleus of atoms, made up of quarks.
Fundamental physicsPlanck length1.616 × 10⁻³⁵ mThe Planck length is a scale formed from fundamental physical constants.
MicroscopicHydrogen atom105.8 pmA hydrogen atom is the simplest neutral atom, with one proton in its nucleus and one electron around it.
MicroscopicDNA double helix2 nmDNA is the molecule that stores hereditary information in living organisms.Side by side
Another point of view.
