crust: The solid outermost layer of a planet or moon is called the crust. The crust is usually a thin layer, taking up about 1-2 percent of the planet's total radius. If you think of a planet as being like a peach, the crust would be like the skin of the fruit. current: Protons are positively charged particles in an atom. Electrons are negatively charged particles in an atom. The steady flow of either of these charged particles is called an electric