AP Phys 2 - Electrostatics

What amount of charge do neutral objects contain?

an equal amount of positive and negative charge

How do objects acquire charge?

by losing or gaining electrons

What is the law of conservation of charge?

If positive charge appears, then there must be an equal negative charge so net charge remains zero

What is charge polarization?

the attraction of two objects due to the slight separation of their positive and negative charges

What is the force due to charge polarization called?

polarization force

The polarization force between a charged object and a neutral one is…

always attractive

What is ionization?

removing or adding an electron from an atom’s electron cloud

What does charging by friction do on the molecular level?

It breaks the bonds of an atom, creating two, oppositely charged molecules

What is the fundamental charge, e?

The magnitude of the charge of an electron or proton, 1.6×10^-19 C

How many kg does a proton weigh?

1.67×10^(-27)

How many kg does an electron weigh?

9.11×10^(-31)

What is the electrostatic constant?

k = 9×10^9 Nm²/C²

To what kind of charges does Coulomb’s law apply? Explain.

point charges, an idealized material object with charge and mass but no size or extension

What is an electric field?

the alteration of space around a source charge

The alteration of the space around a mass is…

the gravitational field

The alteration of the space around a magnet is…

the magnetic field

What are the two electric field formulas?

E = F/q or kq/r² (for a point charge)

The electric field depends…

only on the source charges that create it

What are the units of electric field?

N/C

Write two equations for force WITHOUT electrostatic concepts.

F = ma or mg

When is an object in equilibrium?

when it a force acting on it is equal to gravity or when the net force is 0

What is charging by induction?

creating a charge without touching

What is charging by conduction?

creating a charge by touching

If two objects are charged by induction, what is the net charge in the individual objects?

positive/negative and neutral

If two objects are charged by conduction, what is the net charge in the individual objects?

positive/negative and positive/negative