Electric Charge

Electric Charge

  1. There are two kinds of electric charge, namely the positive charge and the negative charge.
  2. Like charge repel each other.
  3. Unlike charge attract each other.
  4. A neutral body can be attracted by another body which has either a positive or negative charge.
  5. The SI unit of electric charge is Coulomb (C).
    Example
    Charge of 1 electron = -1.6 x 10-19C
    Charge of 1 proton = +1.6 x 10-19C
  6. A Van de Graaff generator can be used to generate charges.
  7. Materials that allow electrons to pass through them are conductors.
  8. Charged conductors become neutral when they are earthed.

Charge and Relative Charge

Sum of Charge

Sum of charge
= number of charge particles × charge of 1 particle

Q=ne

Example:
Find the charge of 2.5 x 1019 electrons.
(Charge of 1 electron is   -1.6 x 10-19C)

Answer:
Number of electrons, n = 2.5 x 1019
Charge of 1 electron, e = -1.6 x 10-19C
Q=ne
Q=(2.5× 1019 )(−1.6× 10−19 )
Q=−4C