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When matter is held in an electric or magnetic field, it has a physical property called electric charge that governs it to experience a force. An electric charge is created by an electric field, whereas moving electric charges create a magnetic field. The electromagnetic force is created by the interactions of electric and magnetic fields.
The electromagnetic field is the field that is created by combining electric and magnetic fields and is where the electromagnetic field operates.
The sign ‘q’ stands for charge, and the SI unit for measuring electric charge is Coulomb (C).
History of Electric Charge
Electricity is derived from the word electron, which is derived from the Greek word “Elektron,” which means “amber.” In 1600, a philosopher named William Gilbert wrote a book called “The Amber Effect,” which detailed how the mineral Amber, which is used to produce jewellery, becomes encrusted with minute fibres of cloth, making it difficult to wear as an ornament.
Benjamin Franklin conducted studies later in the 18th century and inferred that there are charges, naming them positive and negative. After the introduction of batteries, the concept of charges became fully realised.
Electric Charge is a Scalar Quantity
Despite the fact that the electric charge has both magnitude and direction, it is still a ‘scalar quantity.’ The reason it is called a scalar quantity is that if a quantity is to be called a vector, it must satisfy the laws of vector addition, such as the parallelogram law of vector addition, in addition to having a magnitude and direction.
In the case of an electric current, however, this is not possible. When two currents meet at a junction, the algebraic sum, not the vector sum, is the entire sum of these currents. An electric current is thus a scalar quantity.
Protons and Electrons
The protons and electrons in an atom carry the majority of the charges. Protons carry the positive charge, while electrons carry the negative charge. Because positive and negative charges, such as protons and electrons, are opposing in nature, they repel one another, resulting in the formation of electric fields.
Methods of Charging
The process of receiving or losing electrons from an object is referred to as charging. There are three methods for charging an object:
Charging by Friction: The electrons are transported from one uncharged object to another via this approach, which involves rubbing the two things together. One of the items is losing electrons, while the other is gaining them. A positive charge is achieved by the one who loses electrons. A negative charge is achieved by the one who acquires electrons. Electrification by friction is the conventional name for this charging process.
Charging by Conduction: An uncharged object gets charged by bringing it close to a charged object in this way. A charged conductor has an uneven number of protons and electrons. When it comes into contact with an uncharged item, it transfers its electrons to the uncharged object and stabilises. Charging via conduction is the name for this method.
Charging by Induction: Charging via induction occurs when an object is charged by bringing it close to a charged body without coming into direct touch with the charged body.
Types of Electric Charge
Positive and negative charges are the only two types of electric charges that exist. They each have the same amount of charge on them, but the indicators are opposite.
Positive Charge: The electric field lines emerge from the positive charge, which is also known as a proton. A proton has a charge of +1.6 × 10-19 C .When an object is positively charged, it is assumed that it has more protons than electrons.
Negative Charge: Electrons are a type of negative charge. Inside a negative charge, the electric field lines come from infinity. The charge on an electron is -1.6 × 10-19 C. When anything is said to be negatively charged, it indicates it contains more electrons than protons.
Properties of Electric Charge
Additivity of Electric Charges: The total charge existing inside an isolated system is the algebraic sum of all the charges present (keep in mind that the sign of the charge is to be taken into account while adding).
Q = q1+ q2+ q3+….. qn
Conservation of Charges: The charges are believed to be conserved at all times. This means that the charges can’t be made or taken away. Charges can flow in a closed circuit and be transferred from one body to another.
Quantization of Charge:
Electric charges are impossible to quantify in decimals. As the integral multiple of them, they are always present. As a result, charges are defined as follows in any system:
q = ne
Here,
n = Integer number
e =1.6 × 10-19 C
Conclusion
An atom was the most fundamental unit of matter, and it was proven that an atom could not be broken into smaller parts. Later, it was discovered that an atom may be broken down further into electrons, protons, and neutrons. The negative and positive charges are the electron and proton, respectively. The existence of these charges can also be seen and felt in daily life. If a scale/balloon is touched or stored near dry hair, for example, it begins to draw those hair strands. This is because a balloon and dry hair are both charged in the opposite direction.
