Atoms and Electricity

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on atoms and electricity, including the behavior of electric charges, the role of electrons, and properties of conductors and insulators.

What are the three sub-atomic particles that make up matter?

Protons, neutrons, and electrons.

What is a neutral object in terms of

An object containing equal numbers of electrons and protons.

What does it mean for an object to be electrically charged?

An object with an imbalance number of protons and electrons.

What is electricity defined as?

The flow of electric charge when electrons move from one atom to another.

What role do electrons play in electricity?

Electrons are loosely held in many materials, can move freely, and are the primary carrier of electricity in solids.

What distinguishes a negative charge from a positive charge?

A negative charge has more electrons than protons, while a positive charge has more protons than electrons.

What is static electricity?

A build-up of electric charge on the surface of an object, typically occurring when electrons transfer by friction.

What is current electricity?

The continuous flow of electrons through a conductor, created by a power supply that pushes electrons in one direction.

What is electric charge?

A fundamental property of matter that causes particles to experience electric forces, such as attraction and repulsion.

What are the laws of electric charges?

Charged objects can interact with each other; charge is conserved, and it can be transferred but not created or destroyed.

What happens when like charges interact?

Like charges repel each other; two positive charges repel, and two negative charges repel.

How do opposite charges interact?

Opposite charges attract each other; a positive charge attracts a negative charge.

What occurs when neutral objects are near charged objects?

Neutral objects can be attracted to charged objects due to polarization.

What is electric force?

The push or pull that charged objects exert on each other, depending on the amount of charge and the distance between them.

What is an electric field?

The region around a charged object where it exerts an electric force on other charges.

What is polarization in the context of electric charges?

The redistribution of electric charges in a neutral object when placed near a charged object, causing attraction.

What are conductors?

Materials that allow electric charges (electrons) to flow freely through them, such as metals.

What are some characteristics of conductors?

Electrons are loosely bound, low resistance to current, and they often include metals like copper and silver.

What are insulators?

Materials that do not allow electric charges to move freely, often non-metals like rubber and glass.

What are some characteristics of insulators?

Electrons are tightly bound to atoms, high resistance to current.