electric charges

Noun

electric charge (countable and uncountable, plural electric charges)

1. The static electric energy of a charged body.
2. The quantity of unbalanced positive or negative ions in or on an object; measured in coulombs.
3. A quantum number of some subatomic particles which determines their electromagnetic interactions; by convention the electron has an electric charge of −1, the proton +1 and quarks have fractional charge.