The electron is a basic subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. It is a spin-½ lepton that participates in electromagnetic connections, and its mass is less than one thousandth of that of the smallest atom. Its electric charge is clear by convention to be negative, with a charge of -1 in atomic unit. Together with atomic nuclei, electrons make up atoms; their interaction with adjoining nuclei is the main cause of chemical bonding.
The electron is in the class of subatomic particles called leptons, which are supposed to be basic particles (that is, they cannot be broken down into smaller constituent parts).
As with all particles, electrons are able to act as waves. This is called the wave-particle duality; also known by the term complementarily coined by Niles Bohr and can be established using the double-slit experiment.
