Electrostatics and Electric Charge Concepts

This set of flashcards covers key concepts and vocabulary from the lecture on electrostatics and electric charges.

Electrostatics

The study of electric charges, the forces between them, and their behavior in materials.

Charge

The fundamental electrical property that determines the attractive or repulsive interactions between particles.

Ion

A charged atom that has lost or gained electrons.

Coulomb’s Law

A law stating that the force between two charged particles varies directly with the product of their charges and inversely with the square of the distance between them.

Conservation of Charge

The principle stating that electrons are neither created nor destroyed but are transferred from one material to another.

Conductors

Materials through which electric charge can flow easily, typically metals.

Insulators

Materials that do not allow electric charge to flow easily, such as rubber and glass.

Charging by Friction

A method of charging an object by rubbing it against another material to transfer electrons.

Charging by Induction

The process of charging an object without direct contact, usually through the influence of a nearby charged object.

Electric Field

The force per unit charge exerted on a charged particle in an electric field.

Voltage

The electric potential energy per unit charge, often referred to as potential difference.

Electric Current

The flow of electric charge, typically measured in amperes.

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of electric current in a circuit.

Ohm's Law

A principle stating that current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance.

Electric Power

The rate at which electrical energy is converted into another form, calculated as the product of current and voltage.

Electric Circuit

A complete path, involving wires and electric components, through which electric current flows.

Series Circuit

A type of circuit where there is only one pathway for current flow.

Parallel Circuit

A type of circuit where there are multiple pathways for current flow.

Charge Polarization

The slight separation of electric charges in an insulator due to the presence of a charged object.