Introduction to Electric Charges
INTRODUCTION:
Elementary charge (e): Smallest possible unit of charge. Equal to the charge n one proton or the magnitude of charge on one electron, which is 1.602 x 10-19 C. Also called electron charge. Sometimes uses symbol qe.
- There are two types of charges that we call positive and negative. Like charges repel, unlike charges attract.
- Majority of positive charge is carried by protons, whereas the majority of negative charge is carried by electrons.
- An ion is an atom or molecule that has nonzero total charge due to having unequal numbers of electrons and protons.
- Law of conservation of charges states that the net charge of a closed system is constant.
Coulomb (C): SI unit for electric charge. The amounts of charge transferred in 1 second by a current of 1 ampere’
Conductors: substances that allow passage of electric charges through them easily are called conductors. Examples: metals, human bodies, animal bodies and earth are conductors.
Insulators: most of the non metals like glass, plastic, wood offer very high resistance to the passage of electricity through them, such substances are called insulators.
Charging by induction: The process by which an electrically charged object brought near a neutral object creates a charge separation in that object.
- Polarization is the separation of positive and negative charges concentrated in different areas, giving them a charge distribution.
