electron volt

[ ih-lek-tron-vohlt ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a unit of energy, equal to the energy acquired by an electron accelerating through a potential difference of one volt and equivalent to 1.602 × 10 −19 joules. : eV, ev

electron volt

1. A unit used to measure the energy of subatomic particles. One electron volt is defined as the energy needed to move an electron (which has an electric charge equal to −1) across an electric potential of one volt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of electron volt¹

First recorded in 1925–30