Charging Things Up

Elementary Charge

Prepared by:
Antonio D. Salvador Jr.
MST-Physics, M-Chemistry
 Atomic Structure Review
Matter is made up of small structures called ATOMS
ELECTRONS
At the center of
NEGATIVE charge
each atom is a
Orbit nucleus
NUCLEUS
Within the
NUCLEUS are two
types of NUCLEONS

PROTONS NEUTRONS
POSITIVE CHARGE NO CHARGE – NEUTRAL
DO NOT MOVE DO NOT MOVE
WITHIN MATTER WITHIN MATTER

Orbiting the NUCLEUS are ELECTRONS

 Definitions
• charge: a fundamental property of matter
– measured in COULOMBS or ELEMENTARY CHARGE

• charge on an object is carried by particles

– Electron
• -1.6 x 10-19 coulombs
• -1e

– Proton
• +1.6 x 10-19 coulombs
• +1e
 Charged Objects
Objects are normally electrically NEUTRAL.
They have the same number of protons and electrons
If an object loses electrons, it If an object gains electrons, it
becomes becomes
POSITIVELY charged NEGATIVELY charged

+ -

LACK OF ELECTRONS EXCESS ELECTRONS

 Charged Objects
Because objects can only gain or lose electrons, the
only charges that are allowed are multiples of the
ELEMENTARY CHARGE
This plate is neutral – number of protons = number of electrons

If the plate loses two

one electron
three
electrons
electrons

Its charge becomes…

+3
+2
+1ee
Or
+3.2 x 10-19
+4.8
+1.6 -19
Coulombs

The plate has a LACK OF ELECTRONS

+1 Elementary Charges
+2
+3 Charge
 Example #1
• An object has three excess electrons.
– What is its “elementary charge”?

-3e

– What is its charge in coulombs?

q = -3e x (1.6 x 10-19 C)/e = -4.8 x 10-19 C

 Example #2
• An object has 75 protons and 65 electrons
– What is its “elementary charge”?

+10 e

– What is its charge in coulombs?

q = +10e x (1.6 x 10-19 C)/e = +16 x 10-19 C

 Law of Conservation of Charge
• The total amount of charge in a closed
system remains constant – charge is not
created or destroyed, it only moves from one
object to another

• Charge “moves” as a result of ELECTRON

movement ONLY!!!
 Example #3
• A metal sphere with two excess electrons touches a
neutral metal sphere and then taken away.
– What do you predict the charge on each sphere will be
after they make contact?

-1e or -1.6 x 10-19 C

– What is the total charge on both spheres after they come
in contact?

-2e or -3.2 x 10-19 C

The TOTAL CHARGE remains the SAME!!!

End of PRACTICE……