Electric Charge & Coulomb's Law (Lesson 1)

Electric Charge

A fundamental property of matter.
Has 2 types: Positive (protons) and Negative (electrons).

Static Electricity

It is an example of electric charge in action.

Electricity

It came from a Greek word “elektron” which means “amber”.

Sir Wilhelm Gilbert

He first used the term “electricity” to describe the phenomenon of static charge.

Electric Charge

This originates from atomic particles: protons carry positive charge, neutrons are neutral, and electrons carry negative charge, forming the basis of all electrostatic phenomena.

Protons

These are positively charged particles found in the nucleus.

Neutron

These are neutral particles found in the nucleus.

Electron

These are negatively charged particles orbiting the nucleus.

Coulomb

It is the smallest unit of charge.

Like charges repel, unlike charges attract

The Law of Charges states that?

Constant

In Conservation of Charge, the total electric charge in a closed (isolated) system remains?

redistributed

Charge is neither created nor destroyed, only _____.

Quantization of Charge

Electric charge is always an integer multiple of the elementary charge e: q=ne, where n=+1, +2, +3,…

Coulomb (C)

Charge is measured in?

Electric Current

The flow of electric charge

Ampere (A)

Electric current in measured in?

Conductor

Materials in which electric charges move freely.

Insulators

Materials in which electric charges do not move freely.

Semiconductors

Materials with charge mobility between conductors and insulators. Conductivity can be controlled by temperature or doping.

Superconductors

Materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance below a critical temperature. No energy is lost as heat.