Electrostatics and Electricity Vocabulary

Electric Charge

a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience electrical forces. It comes in two types: positive and negative

Conservation of Electric Charge

the total amount of electric charge in a closed system remains constant; charge cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred

Insulator (Electrical)

a material that does not allow electric charge to move easily through

Conductor (Electrical)

a material that allows electrical charges to move easily through

Charging by Friction

happens when two objects are rubbed together and electrons are transferred from one material to another

Charging by Conduction

happens when a charged object touches a neutral object, causing electrons to transfer through direct contact

Electroscope

a device used to detect the presence of electric charge on an object

Van de Graff Generator

a device that uses a moving belt to build up a very large amount of static electric charge on a metal dome

Grounding

the process of connecting an object to Earth so that excess electric charge can safely flow away

Static Electricity

the buildup of electric charge on the surface of an object, usually caused by friction, conduction, or induction

Coulomb’s Law

states that the electric force between two charged objects depends on: the amount of charge on each object and the distance between them

Ion

an atom or molecule that has gained or lost electrons, giving it a net charge

Coulomb

the SI unit of electric charge (C)

Elementary Charge

the smallest unit of electric charge that exists on its own

Polarization

the separation of charges within a neutral object when a charged object is brought near it; the object stays overall neutral, but its charges shift slightly, creating a positive side and a negative side

Electric Force

the attractive or repulsive force between two charged objects

Electricity

the interaction and movement of electric charges, especially electrons; includes both static electricity (charges at rest) and current electricity (charges in motion)

Triboelectric Effect

the process where certain materials become electrically charged after they are rubbed together, causing electrons to transfer from one material to another

Quark

a fundamental particle that makes up protons and neutrons (the building blocks of atomic nuclei)

Electric Field

the region around a charged object where another charge would feel an electric force

Uniform Electric Field

an electric field in which the strength and direction are the same at every part

Field Lines

imaginary lines used to represent the direction and strength of an electric field around a charge or group of charges

Capacitator

an electrical device that stores electric charge and electrical energy by separating charges onto two conductive planes

Voltage

the electric potential difference between two points; tells you how much energy each unit of charge has as it moves through a circuit

Resistance

the opposition to the flow of electric current in a material or component