Electrostatics Lecture Flashcards

A collection of vocabulary terms and definitions covering electrostatics, atomic charge, force fields, and fundamental forces based on Unit 9 physics lecture notes.

Charge

A physical property of an object due to elementary charges that causes a force to be experienced when near other charged objects.

Elementary Charge Value

The charge of a single elementary particle, equivalent to $1.6 \times 10^{-19}\,C$.

Electron

A negatively charged elementary particle with a value of $-1e$ that has less mass than a proton or neutron.

Proton

A positively charged elementary particle with a value of $+1e$ found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

A neutrally charged elementary particle with the same mass as a proton.

Ion

An atom that has gained or lost electrons, resulting in a change in net charge.

Conduction

The charging or change of charge of conductors through contact where net charge is shared evenly.

Induction

Influencing or changing the charge of objects without contact by bringing a charged object nearby.

Conductor

An object that easily permits or promotes the flow of charges, specifically electrons.

Insulator

An object that resists or restricts the flow of charges.

Grounding

The balancing of charge until the net charge is zero, completed by connecting a charged object to the Earth to add or remove electrons.

Electrostatic Force

A non-contact force due to charge that is relative to the amount of charge and the distance between the charges.

Coulomb ($C$)

The fundamental unit of charge in physics.

Electric Field

The force field created by charged particles in space where a charged object experiences a force.

Electric Field Strength ($E$)

The amount of electrostatic force ($F_E$) experienced per unit of charge ($E = \frac{F_E}{q}$).

Electric Potential Difference (Voltage)

The amount of work or energy required to move a charge against an electric field.

Magnetism

A force caused by moving charges (electrons) and measured in Teslas ($B$).

Magnetic Field Lines

Lines that run away from the North pole and toward the South pole of a magnet.

Electroscope

An early scientific instrument used to detect the presence of electric charge on a body using movable leaves.

electron-volt ($eV$)

An alternate unit for electrical energy where $1\,eV = 1.6 \times 10^{-19}\,Joules$.

Strong Nuclear Force

An attractive force field within the nucleus of an atom that prevents positive protons from repelling each other.

Weak Nuclear Force

A short-range force field responsible for the identity change of particles, such as during Beta Decay.

Beta Decay

A process where a neutron transforms into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino.

Antineutrino

A particle with a charge of $0e$ that is ejected during Beta Decay to balance the system.