electric charges and fields Flashcards
(27 cards)
What phenomenon occurs when taking off synthetic clothes or a sweater in dry weather?
A spark or crackle due to electric discharge
What is the term for the study of forces, fields, and potentials arising from static charges?
Electrostatics
Who is credited with the discovery that amber rubbed with wool or silk cloth attracts light objects?
Thales of Miletus
What does the term ‘electric charge’ refer to?
An entry that differentiates materials based on their ability to attract or repel each other
What are the two kinds of electric charges?
- Positive
- Negative
What happens when like charges come close to each other?
They repel each other
What happens when unlike charges come close to each other?
They attract each other
What is the polarity of charge?
The property that differentiates the two kinds of charges
What happens when a charged object comes into contact with an object of opposite charge?
They neutralize each other’s effect
What is a gold-leaf electroscope used for?
To detect charge on a body
What are conductors?
Substances that allow electricity to pass through them easily
What are insulators?
Substances that do not allow electricity to pass through them easily
What happens to charge distribution in a conductor?
It gets distributed over the entire surface
What is the additivity of charges?
The total charge of a system is obtained by adding charges algebraically
What does it mean for charge to be conserved?
The total charge in an isolated system remains constant
What is quantisation of charge?
All free charges are integral multiples of a basic unit of charge denoted by e
What is the basic unit of charge in the International System of Units (SI)?
Coulomb (C)
How is one coulomb defined in terms of electric current?
As the charge flowing through a wire in 1 s if the current is 1 A
What is the value of the elementary charge (e)?
1.602192 × 10–19 C
What is the charge on a proton and an electron?
- Proton: +e
- Electron: -e
What happens when a body gains electrons?
It becomes negatively charged
What happens when a body loses electrons?
It becomes positively charged
What does it mean when we say charge is conserved?
No new charges are created or destroyed in an isolated system
What is the significance of the quantisation of charge at a macroscopic level?
It appears continuous due to large charge magnitudes
