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electron volt
unit of measurement
Also known as: eV, electronvolt
electron volt, unit of energy commonly used in atomic and nuclear physics, equal to the energy gained by an electron (a charged particle carrying unit electronic charge) when the electrical potential at the electron increases by one volt. The electron volt equals 1.602 Γ 10β12 erg, or 1.602 Γ 10β19 joule. The abbreviation MeV indicates 106 (1,000,000) electron volts; GeV, 109 (1,000,000,000); and TeV, 1012 (1,000,000,000,000).
This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.
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