T2.1 Nature of Electric Charges & T2.2 Conductors and Insulators

Main Key Topics and Definitions/Examples

  1. Static Electricity

    • Definition: The accumulation of electric charge on an object's surface.

    • Example: Rubbing a balloon on your hair causes it to stick due to static charge.

  2. Electric Charges

    • Definition: Physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field.

    • Example: Protons carry a positive charge, electrons carry a negative charge.

  3. Conductors and Insulators

    • Conductors: Materials that allow the free flow of electric current (e.g., copper, aluminum).

    • Insulators: Materials that do not allow electric current to pass through (e.g., rubber, glass).

    • Semiconductors: Materials that have properties of both conductors and insulators (e.g., silicon).

  4. Electrostatic Forces

    • Definition: The forces between charged objects which can be attractive or repulsive.

    • Example: Like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract.

  5. Matter and Its Composition

    • Definition: Anything that occupies space and has mass. Composed of atoms, which include protons, neutrons, and electrons.

    • Example: A piece of wood is considered matter as it occupies space and has mass.