Editing Electronvolt (section)

{{short description|Unit of energy}}
{{Redirect-several|MEV|KEV|GEV|TEV|PEV}}
{{Infobox unit
| name          = electronvolt
| image         = 
| caption       = 
| standard      = [[Non-SI units mentioned in the SI|Non-SI accepted unit]]
| quantity      = [[energy]]
| symbol        = eV
| units1        = [[joule]]s (SI)
| inunits1      = {{physconst|eV}}
}}

In [[physics]], an '''electronvolt''' (symbol '''eV'''), also written '''electron-volt''' and '''electron volt''', is the measure of an amount of [[kinetic energy]] gained by a single [[electron]] accelerating through an [[Voltage|electric potential difference]] of one [[volt]] in [[vacuum]]. When used as a [[Units of energy|unit of energy]], the numerical value of 1 eV in [[joule]]s (symbol J) is equal to the numerical value of the [[Electric charge|charge]] of an electron in [[coulomb]]s (symbol C). Under the [[2019 revision of the SI]], this sets 1&nbsp;eV equal to the exact value {{physconst|eV|after=.}}

Historically, the electronvolt was devised as a standard [[unit of measure]] through its usefulness in [[Particle accelerator#Electrostatic particle accelerators|electrostatic particle accelerator]] sciences, because a particle with [[electric charge]] ''q'' gains an energy {{nowrap|1=''E'' = ''qV''}} after passing through a voltage of ''V''.