Electric Fields and Charge Properties

Flashcards based on key concepts and vocabulary from the lecture on Electric Fields and Charge Properties in Physics.

Proton

A subatomic particle with a positive charge found in atomic nuclei.

Electron

A subatomic particle with a negative charge that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

A subatomic particle with no charge found in atomic nuclei.

Coulomb's Law

A law that describes the electrostatic interaction between charged particles, stating that the force is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Charge Conservation

The principle that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant over time.

Quantized Charge

The property that electric charge can only exist in discrete amounts, typically described as integer multiples of the elementary charge.

Charging by Friction

A method of charging that occurs when two different materials are rubbed against each other, resulting in the transfer of electrons.

Charging by Conduction

A process where an object acquires an electric charge through direct contact with another charged object.

Charging by Induction

A method of charging without direct contact, involving the rearrangement of electrons in a neutral object caused by the proximity of a charged object.

Electric Field

A region around a charged object where other charged objects experience a force.

Electric Field Lines

Imaginary lines that represent the direction of the electric field, showing the path a positive test charge would take.

Opposite Charges

Charges that attract each other; for example, positive and negative charges.

Like Charges

Charges that repel each other; for example, two positive charges or two negative charges.

Total Charge

The sum of all electric charges in a system, which remains constant in an isolated system.

Vector Quantity

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction, such as electric field strength.

Test Charge

A small positive charge used to measure the strength and direction of an electric field.

Source Charge

The charged object that generates an electric field.

Electric Force

The force exerted by an electric field on a charged object.

Magnitude of Electric Field

The strength of an electric field at a point, proportional to the charge creating the field and inversely proportional to the distance from that charge.

Coulomb's Constant

A proportionality constant used in Coulomb's law that quantifies the amount of force between two charges.

Equilibrium of Charges

A state where the net force acting on a charged object is zero, resulting in no acceleration.