Mass-to-charge ratio refers to the molecular or atomic mass number and "z" to the charge number of the ion; however, the quantity of "m"/"z" is dimensionless by definition. An ion of 100 atomic mass units ("m" = 100) carrying two charges ("z" = 2) will be observed at "m"/"z" = 50. In the 19th century, the mass-to-charge ratios of some ions were measured by electrochemical methods. In 1897, the mass-to-charge ratio of the electron was first measured by J. J. Thomson. By doing this, he showed that the electron was in fact a particle with a mass and a charge, and that
Particle radiation Particle radiation Particle radiation is the radiation of energy by means of fast-moving subatomic particles. Particle radiation is referred to as a particle beam if the particles are all moving in the same direction, similar to a light beam. Due to the wave–particle duality, all moving particles also have wave character. Higher energy particles more easily exhibit particle characteristics, while lower energy particles more easily exhibit wave characteristics. Particles can be electrically charged or uncharged: Particle radiation can be emitted by an unstable atomic nucleus (via radioactive decay), or it can be the product from some other kind of nuclear