Editing Electronvolt (section)

== Definition and use ==
An electronvolt is the amount of energy gained or lost by a single [[electron]] when it moves through an [[Voltage|electric potential difference]] of one [[volt]]. Hence, it has a value of one [[volt]], which is {{val|1|u=J/C}}, multiplied by the [[elementary charge]] {{physconst|e|symbol=yes|after=.}} Therefore, one electronvolt is equal to {{physconst|eV|after=.}}

The electronvolt (eV) is a unit of energy, but is not an [[SI unit]]. It is a commonly used [[unit of energy]] within physics, widely used in [[Solid-state physics|solid state]], [[Atomic physics|atomic]], [[Nuclear physics|nuclear]] and [[particle physics|particle]] physics, and [[high-energy astronomy|high-energy astrophysics]]. It is commonly used with [[SI prefix]]es ''milli-'' (10<sup>−3</sup>), ''kilo-'' (10<sup>3</sup>), ''mega-'' (10<sup>6</sup>), ''giga-'' (10<sup>9</sup>), ''tera-'' (10<sup>12</sup>), ''peta-'' (10<sup>15</sup>), ''exa-'' (10<sup>18</sup>), ''zetta-'' (10<sup>21</sup>), ''yotta-'' (10<sup>24</sup>), ''ronna-'' (10<sup>27</sup>), or ''quetta-'' (10<sup>30</sup>), the respective symbols being meV, keV, MeV, GeV, TeV, PeV, EeV, ZeV, YeV, ReV, and QeV. The SI unit of energy is the joule (J).
 
In some older documents, and in the name ''[[Bevatron]]'', the symbol ''BeV'' is used, where the ''B'' stands for ''[[billion]]''. The symbol ''BeV'' is therefore equivalent to ''GeV'', though neither is an SI unit.