Bubble chamber photograph of an electron knocked out of a hydrogen atom

The curly line was produced by an electron that was struck by one of twelve passing beam particles in a liquid hydrogen bubble chamber. It curves in an applied magnetic field and loses energy rapidly, spiralling inwards.

Electrons can also be ejected from atoms by neutral particles, photons in particular – this is called the Compton effect.

For more details about this picture, click here.

For more examples of electrons, click on one of the pictures below.

		arguably the most significant electron in history