Although electron backscatter has been a subject of investigation for many years, both theory and experimental data are sparse. This article examines the available data and shows that a large percentage of both the theoretical and experimental values fit an empirical relationship for a large range of electron energies. This relationship appears to be valid both for β‐ray spectra and monoenergetic electrons. The empirical relation describing the intensity of electron backscatter is also valid over the entire range of atomic elements. The relationship proposed is that the backscatter of electrons is proportional to the log (Z+1). Effective atomic numbers of compound and mixtures arrived at using this relationship can be used to predict backscatter coefficients for these.