Electric Charge

Electric Charge

1. Is a basic property of matter carried by some elementary particles that governs how the particles are affected by an electric or magnetic field. An electric charge, which can be positive or negative, occurs in discrete natural units and is neither created nor destroyed.

2. Insulators

   • Are materials that impede the free flow of electrons from atom to atom and molecule to molecule. If charge is transferred to an insulator at a given location, the excess charge will remain at the initial location of charging.

3. Conductors

   • Are materials that permit electrons to flow freely from particle to particle. An object made of a conducting material will permit charge to be transferred across the entire surface of the object.

4. Coulom's law

   • According to Coulomb, the electric force for charges at rest has the following properties:
     • Like charges repel each other; unlike charges attract. Thus, two negative charges repel one another, while a positive charge attracts a negative charge.
     • The attraction or repulsion acts along the line between the two charges.
   • Is a mathematical description of the electric force between charged objects.

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