Physics Lecture 1: Overview and Electric Charge

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on introductory physics and electric charge.

Static Electricity

The buildup of electric charge on the surface of objects, which can cause them to attract or repel each other.

Charge

A property of matter that causes it to experience a force in an electromagnetic field; can be positive or negative.

Coulomb

The unit of electric charge in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to the charge of approximately 6.242 x 10^18 electrons.

Electrons

Subatomic particles with a negative charge that are involved in electricity.

Conservation of Charge

The principle stating that electric charge can neither be created nor destroyed.

Discrete Charge

Charge exists in integer multiples of a fundamental unit, typically the charge of an electron.

Proton Charge

The positive charge of a proton, equal in magnitude to the negative charge of an electron.

Gravitational Force

The force of attraction between two masses, proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the distance squared.

Electromagnetic Force

The force that causes charged particles to attract or repel each other.

Electric Field

A region around a charged particle where a force would be experienced by other charges.

Force of Attraction

The attractive force between opposite charges or masses.

Force of Repulsion

The repulsive force between like charges.