Physics Honors - Electrostatistics Vocabulary

Quantized

the charge of an object occurs as integer multiples of e in nature

Electrical Conductor

a material in which charges can move freely

Electrical Insulator

a material in which charges cannot move freely

Semiconductors

a material with electrical properties that are somewhere between insulators and conductors

Superconductors

materials with zero electrical resistance when they are at or below a certain temperature

Field Force

a force that is exerted by one object on another, even though there is no physical contact between the two objects

Electric Field

a region where a test charge experiences an electric force

Electric Potential Energy

potential energy associated with a change due to its position in an electric field

Electric Potential

the work that must be performed against electric forces to move a charge from a reference point to the point in question, divided by the charge

Potential Difference

the work that must be performed against electric forces to move a charge between two points in question, divided by the charge