What's the reason behind dividing the charge of one electron into one?

[EEC]

I am having a hard time understanding the reason to divide the charge of one electron into one. I know the answer would be one coulomb but I just can't picture what's happening. Can someone break-it-down into something easy to understand?

 

[gar]

110409-1544 EDT

I do not understand your question. Do a Google search using the string
electron charge
It displays the charge in coulombs, and many references.

The charge in coulombs is quite small, about 1.602 * 10^-19

.

 

[EEC]

Clarification

Clarification

The charge for one electron = 1.60 x 10^-19. the formula for one coulomb = 1/ (1.60 x 10^-19)
Looking for the reason why dividing the charge of one electron into 1

 

[LarryFine]

We know one amp = one Coulomb per second, and we assign 1.602 * 10^-19 as the charge of one electron.

Dividing that into one gives you the reciprocal, which is the quantity of electrons making up that Coulomb.

 

[K8MHZ]

We know one amp = one Coulomb per second, and we assign 1.602 * 10^-19 as the charge of one electron.

Dividing that into one gives you the reciprocal, which is the quantity of electrons making up that Coulomb.

This is the number we were taught.

One coulomb is the magnitude (absolute value) of electrical charge in 6.24150965(16)?10 ^18
protons or electrons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb

 

[steve66]

The charge for one electron = 1.60 x 10^-19. the formula for one coulomb = 1/ (1.60 x 10^-19)
Looking for the reason why dividing the charge of one electron into 1

A coulomb is defined as the charge of 6.24x10^18 electrons.

To find the charge on a single electron, we take the inverse of this number : 1/(6.24x10^18) = 1.6x10^-19.

To get back to coulomb's from the electron charge, we take 1/(1.6x10^-19) = 6.24x10^18 and we are back to the number we started with.

Taking the inverse of a number twice in a row (1/1/x) always gives you the number you started with.

Think of it this way: If we divide a pie into 8 slices, each slice is 1/8th of a pie.

If we know that each slice is 1/8th, to find out how many slices are in a pie we calculate 1/(1/8) = 8.

Same thing with couloumbs and electrons.

 

[K8MHZ]

A coulomb is defined as the charge of 6.24x10^18 electrons.

To find the charge on a single electron, we take the inverse of this number : 1/(6.24x10^18) = 1.6x10^-19.

To get back to coulomb's from the electron charge, we take 1/(1.6x10^-19) = 6.24x10^18 and we are back to the number we started with.

Taking the inverse of a number twice in a row (1/1/x) always gives you the number you started with.

Think of it this way: If we divide a pie into 8 slices, each slice is 1/8th of a pie.

If we know that each slice is 1/8th, to find out how many slices are in a pie we calculate 1/(1/8) = 8.

Same thing with couloumbs and electrons.

Most excellent answer.

 

[steve66]

Most excellent answer.

thanks. It seemed to make sense when I wrote it, but now it just makes me hungry

 

[billsnuff]

Not to add any confusion, but the simple answer is: you are finding the reciprocal as in the examples below at the link.

http://www.mathsteacher.com.au/year7/ch04_frac/06_recip/num.htm

P.S. I like pi