All Flashcards
What is 'charge conservation'?
The total electric charge in an isolated system never changes.
Define 'net charge'.
The sum of all individual charges in a system. Positive and negative charges cancel each other out.
What is the 'elementary charge (e)'?
The smallest unit of charge that can be isolated; the charge of a single proton (+1e) or electron (-1e).
Define 'static charge'.
Charge that remains in one location.
What is 'electric current'?
The flow of electric charge.
What is the unit of electric current?
Ampere (A). 1 Ampere = 1 Coulomb per second.
What is the difference between static charge and electric current?
Static charge: Charge remains in one location. | Electric current: The flow of electric charge.
Compare positive and negative charges.
Positive charge: Carried by particles like protons. | Negative charge: Carried by particles like electrons.
Differentiate between a neutral object and an object with no charge.
Neutral object: Has equal amounts of positive and negative charge. | Object with no charge: Hypothetical; all matter has charged particles.
What is the effect of an object gaining 100 electrons?
The object acquires a net negative charge of -100e.
What happens when two objects with opposite charges are brought near each other?
They exert an attractive force on each other.
What is the effect of charge flowing through a conductor?
It creates an electric current.
What happens when a neutral object loses electrons?
It becomes positively charged.
What is the effect of an imbalance of charge?
It results in an electrical force.