Nature and Origin of Charge

Mearvhin C. Gener

12-St. John of Crysostom

The Nature and Origin of Charge
Electric charge, basic property of matter carried by some elementary particles. Electric charge, which can
be positive or negative, occurs in discrete natural units and is neither created nor destroyed.
Electric charges are of two general types: positive and negative. Two objects that have an excess of one
type of charge exert a force of repulsion on each other when relatively close together. Two objects that have
excess opposite charges, one positively charged and the other negatively charged, attract each other when
relatively near.
What is the origin of Electric charge? Nucleus is present in the center of Atom. It contains protons and
neutrons. Protons carry positive charge and neutrons carry negative charge. The protons and neutrons in an
atom are equal.
Conductors and insulators
Conductors are materials that permit electrons to
flow freely from particle to particle. An object made of a
conducting material will permit charge to be transferred
across the entire surface of the object. If charge is
transferred to the object at a given location, that charge is
quickly distributed across the entire surface of the object.
The distribution of charge is the result of electron
movement. Since conductors allow for electrons to be
transported from particle to particle, a charged object will
always distribute its charge until the overall repulsive forces
between excess electrons is minimized. If a charged conductor
is touched to another object, the conductor can even transfer its
charge to that object. The transfer of charge between objects occurs more readily if the second object is made of
a conducting material. Conductors allow for charge transfer through the free movement of electrons.
In contrast to conductors, insulators are materials that impede the free flow of electrons from atom to
atom and molecule to molecule. If charge is transferred to an insulator at a given location, the excess charge
will remain at the initial location of charging. The particles of the insulator do not permit the free flow of
electrons; subsequently charge is seldom distributed evenly across the surface of an insulator.
Charging by Friction
The frictional charging process results in a transfer of
electrons between the two objects that are rubbed together.
The two objects have become charged with opposite types of
charges as a result of the transfer of electrons from the least
electron-loving material to the most electron-loving material.

Charging by Conduction
Conduction: transfer by contact with an already charged
object.
Dielectric breakdown (sparks): given enough stress in an
insulator can be made to conduct electricity.
Charging by Induction
Induction: separation of charge when near an already
charged object
Charged objects can attract electrically neutral objects
through induction.
Here's the logic…
 Like charges move away from the charged object.
 Opposite charges move toward the charged object.
 Attraction predominates since the like charges are closer together than the opposite charges.