Coulomb

Description: An elementary charge (e) is the smallest freely existing positive or negative electrical charge. It is measured in coulombs (C) or ampere-seconds (As) and is approximately $1.602\cdot {{10}^{-19}}C$. Any positive or negative electrical charge can be indicated as a multiple of the elementary charge, with an electron having the charge -e and a proton the charge +e. A negatively charged body has a surplus of electrons. Multiplying the number of electrons by the elementary charge gives the total charge. Accordingly, the electron deficiency in a positively charged body can be determined from the number of 'missing' electrons and the elementary charge. Recent findings in particle physics have also established the existence of particles such as quarks with smaller charges of 1/3 or 2/3 e.