L1.

1 Electric Charge

Engr. Dennis Jefferson Amora

LEARNING GOALS
By studying this chapter, you should be able to:

• Define electric charge and conservation of charge.

• How objects become electrically charged.
• Calculate the electric force between charges using Coulomb’s law.
• Differentiate between electric force and electric field.
• Calculate the electric field due to a collection of charges.
• Visualize and interpret electric fields.
• Calculate the properties of electric dipoles using the idea of electric field lines.
Electric Charge

• ancient Greeks discovered as early as 600 B.C. that after they rubbed amber with wool, the amber could
attract other objects.

• we say that the amber has acquired a net electric charge, or has become charged.

• The word “electric” is derived from the Greek word elektron, meaning amber.

• electrostatics, the interactions between electric charges that are at rest (or nearly so)
Experiments in electrostatics. (a) Negatively charged objects repel each other. (b) Positively charged
objects repel each other. (c) Positively charged objects and negatively charged objects attract each other.

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) suggested calling these two kinds of charge negative and positive,
respectively
Sources of Charge

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsNVESLUcAA6RMW?format=jpg&name=900x900
Atomic Structure
The particles of the atom are the negative electron,
the positive proton, and the uncharged neutron.

The number of protons or electrons in a neutral atom of an

element is called the atomic number of the element.

1 Coulomb charge = how many electrons?

 This gain or loss of electrons
is called ionization.
A neutral atom has as
many electrons as it
does protons.
A negative ion has gained one
or more electrons.
A positive ion is an
atom with one or more
electrons removed or When we speak of the charge of a body, we
lost. always mean its net charge.
Principle of Conservation of Charge

SCENARIO:
If we rub together a plastic rod and a piece of fur, both initially uncharged, the rod acquires a negative
charge (since it takes electrons from the fur) and the fur acquires a positive charge of the same magnitude
(since it has lost as many electrons as the rod has gained). Hence the total electric charge on the two
bodies together does not change.

In any charging process, a charge is not created or

destroyed; it is merely transferred from one body to another.

• The magnitude of the charge of the electron or proton is a natural unit of charge. All
observable charge is quantized in this unit.
Charge by Friction

Different materials have different affinity for

electrons.  Some hold on to their electrons
tighter than others.

•Greater affinity for electrons: hold electrons

stronger and often gain electrons by friction
and become negative.

•Less affinity for electrons: hold electrons

weaker and often lose more electrons by friction
and become positive.

The triboelectric series ranks various materials

according to their tendency to gain or lose
electrons, which reflects the natural physical
property of materials.
https://stickmanphysics.com/stickman-physics-home/
Example Problem

You comb your hair on a dry day.  The comb gained 2.3 x 104 electrons.  Each electron has
a charge of -1.6 x 10-19 Coulombs.

1. Does your hair or plastic comb have a greater affinity for

electrons? Why?

2. Assume your hair and comb were all neutral before

combing.  What is the charge of the comb afterwards?

3. What is the charge of your hair afterward?

Charging by Induction

• You can induce a charge in a neutral object by

moving a charged object close to it. 

• Induction creates a temporary and opposite

charge in that other object with no contact. 

• This is considered temporary because no electrons

are transferred and neutrality returns when the
close-charged object is removed.

Charging By Induction Facts

•No contact
•Opposite charge
•Temporary (no electron transfer)
Charging by Conduction

• Conduction occurs on a neutral object when a charged

object is in contact with it.

• During conduction the same charge is created in a

neutral object. 

• Electrons will transfer from a negative object to a

neutral object making it negative.  Electrons will be
attracted by a positive object taking electrons from a
neutral object making it positive.

• Charging by conduction is considered permanent since

electrons move to the new object until that object is
grounded.
Sharing Charge Between Similar Conductors

• When two similar conductors come in contact, electrons

separate as much as possible. 

• The net effect is that the two similar conductors will

share the original charge. 

• Each time there are two objects sharing a charge so the

previous charge was divided by two.
Properties of Electric Charge

• Charge is quantized.

• The magnitude of the charge is independent of the type.

• Charge is conserved.