In Our Time: Science cover image

The Electron

In Our Time: Science

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The Size of an Electron

The size of an electron has been tested to be smaller than 10 to the minus 18 centimeters through collision tests, indicating its extremely tiny nature. Current experimental precision limits prevent further size determination, raising the possibility that with incorrect theoretical understanding, the electron could have a size, potentially as a vibrating string according to string theory. Nonetheless, it remains a minuscule point in 3-dimensional space. The certainty lies in our ability to resolve distances as minute as 10 to the minus 18 centimeters, although this scale is incomprehensible to a normal human mind. It is emphasized that despite the difficulty in grasping such a small value, the electron is even smaller than that.

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