Electric Charge and Electric Field

1-Static Electricity; Electric Charge and Its Conservation

Static Electricity: It is a physical experience because of the electric charges. We can experience
it when we touch a metal doorknob or when taking a synthetic blouse. We can see sparks
especially when we taking synthetic blouse because of electricity.

Electric Charge: Electric charges is a physical property of matter and it causes to electric force;
the charges has two species, positive and negative charges (Benjamin Franklin called them like
that we still use his method to naming the charges.). The force which are caused by electric
charge can be attractive or repulsive. When we charge an object the net charge on the object
remain zero; the produces of positive and negative charges are equal. This property of the
electric charges is called the law of conservation of electric charge; the net amount of electric
charge produced in any process is zero.

2-Electric Charge in the Atom

We know the atom consists of three main particle; they are neutrons, electrons and, protons.
There two of them; electrons and protons have different charges, electrons have negative charge
and protons have positive charge. The neutrons are neutral, this means the neutrons have no net
charge. These three particle form of an atom. If the net charge of atom is zero we called that
atom as neutral atom. A neutral atom consists of same amount of electron and proton; also
neutron. Sometimes atoms can lose or gain their electrons, this causes to ionization. It means
the atom transform an ion. Ions can be positive or negative. If an ion is negative, it can combine
with a positive ion. For example the water molecule has two types atoms which have different
charges; hydrogen has negative charge and oxygen has positive charge. Their combines create
a water molecule. A water molecule has polar structure, it means the ions in the molecule has
different place. Positive charges are in a polar of molecule, negative charges are in a different
polar from in case of positive. An example of polar molecule is water molecule.

3- Insulators and Conductors

Insulators are matters which do not let the electron to move on them. For example woods are
an insulator. Conductors are matter which let electron to move on them freely. They can
transform electricity from one point to another. For example if we have a matter which is
charged negatively and we have a matter which is not charged. When we connect two of the by
using a conductors, the uncharged matter become charged but if we use the insulator to connect
them, uncharged matter do not become charged.
Metals are generally good conductors. We have matters which are semiconductors, they can
let the electrons to move on them but not as good as metals.

4- Induced Charge: The Electroscope

If the two objects one of them is charged and the other one is uncharged touch each other the
uncharged one becomes charged. This process is called charging by conduction or by
contact and the two objects end up with the same sign of charge.
Charging by induction is different process from the charging by conduction. This time the
object do not touch each other but still they can effect each other in terms of charges. Two
objects are charged but now one of the neutral and the other one is positively charged. When

the positive charged become closer to the neutral charged the negative charges of the neutral
one become closer to the other object, the positive charges is become away from the positive
charged object, when we cut the our neutral object it become two object one of them positively
charged the other one is negatively charged.
The other process to be charged objects is called grounded or earthed. This time the one
of the object is connected to the ground. The ground can attract the negative charge in it so the
negative charges on the object will go to the ground.
Nonconductors can also be charged but not as same as the conductors. Their electrons cannot
move on it but they turn their face to a positively charged object.
Electroscopes: The electroscopes can show us what the charge of the object is. We use now
electrometers instead of electroscopes.
An electroscope consists of three part. First part is called knob which is a good conductor, the
second part is called insulator which cannot transfer the electron, the third part and the important
part is called leaves, they can give an idea what the charge of the object is. Leaves is generally
gold.

5-Coulombs Law
The law give us information about the magnitude of the electrostatic forces which is exerted
to two object because of their electrical charges. The SI unit of the charges is called Coulomb
(C). The law is similar to the law of universal gravitation.

1) =

1 2
2

k is Coulombs constant which is equal 8.99109 N.2 / 2 .

The electrostatic force can be rewritten as a vector force

2) = 1 2 21
12

The constant k is equal4 . 0 is called the permittivity of free space and it is related to the
0

k.
There is an elementary charge and it is the smallest charge found in nature. It is the charge of
an electron. Its symbol is e.
= 1.602 1019
Electric charge can be found as quantized. It means the electrical charge can be discrete
amounts: 1e, 2e, 3e etc.
Coulombs law can be similar to the law of gravitation but it is actually not. Because the
gravitation only attractive but electrostatic force can be attractive and repulsive. The other
differences between them is charges. Charges of the electricity can be positive or negative but
gravitation has only one charge.

References:
1- Physics for Scientists & Engineers 4th Edition, C. Giancoli.
In order to bridges:
2- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity
3- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_charge
4- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin#Electricity
5- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron
6- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron
7- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton
8- http://www.bio.miami.edu/tom/courses/protected/MCB6/ch02/2-05.jpg
9- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulator_(electricity)
10- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_conductor
11- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor
12- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_induction
13- http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/faculty/busse/mathhomepage/busseclasses/apphysics/study
guides/chapter1516/chapter1516graphics/Fig-15-09.gif
14- http://whs.wsd.wednet.edu/faculty/busse/mathhomepage/busseclasses/apphysics/study
guides/chapter1516/chapter1516graphics/Fig-15-09.gif
15- http://www.mwit.ac.th/~physicslab/applet_04/physics_classroom/Class/estatics/u8l2b
2.gif
16- https://voer.edu.vn/file/53242
17- http://image.slidesharecdn.com/ch16electricfeldcharge-130825043720phpapp02/95/electric-charge-and-electric-field-lecture-14-638.jpg?cb=1377436078
18- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroscope
19- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb%27s_law
AHMET ULUSOY
Student of Physics Department of METU