Question:

The Greek word for amber (fossilized resin) is elektron. Explain how this came to be the word describing a certain type of subatomic particle (electron).

Answer:

When a piece of amber is rubbed with a cloth, a static electric charge develops on both objects. Early experimenters postulated the existence of an invisible fluid that was transferred between the amber and the cloth. Later, it was discovered that tiny sub-atomic particles constituted this "fluid," and the name electron was given to them.

A mosquito and a fly in this Baltic amber necklace are between 40 and 60 million years old