Electric Charge

Front

Static Electricity Noun

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[stat-ik ee-lek-tris-i-tee]

Back

Static Electricity

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A buildup of electric charges on the surface of an object, which can be collected and held in one place.

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Example: This diagram shows the basic rule of electric charges: like charges (positive and positive) push each other away, while opposite charges (positive and negative) pull together.

Front

Electrostatics Noun

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[uh-lek-troh-stat-iks]

Back

Electrostatics

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The scientific study of stationary electric charges or fields, as opposed to electric currents which involve moving charges.

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Example: This diagram shows how invisible electric fields extend from electric charges; fields point away from positive charges and towards negative charges.

Front

Electric Current Noun

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[uh-lek-trik kur-uhnt]

Back

Electric Current

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The net movement or flow of electric charge through a material, typically measured in units called amperes.

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Example: This diagram shows an electric current as the flow of charged particles from a battery, through a conductor (wire), to power a light bulb.

Front

Electrostatic Force Noun

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[uh-lek-troh-stat-ik fors]

Back

Electrostatic Force

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The attractive or repulsive force that exists between two stationary electric charges, also known as Coulomb's force.

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Example: This diagram shows that like electric charges (+q and +q) repel each other, while opposite electric charges (+q and -q) attract each other.

Front

Electric Charge Noun

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[uh-lek-trik charj]

Back

Electric Charge

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A fundamental physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field.

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Example: This diagram shows the fundamental rule of electric charges: opposite charges (+ and -) attract, while like charges (+ and + or - and -) repel.

Front

Positive Charge Noun

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[poz-i-tiv charj]

Back

Positive Charge

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The type of electric charge carried by protons, resulting from a deficiency of electrons in an atom or object.

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Example: This diagram shows that an atom's nucleus contains protons, which are particles that have a positive (+) electric charge.

Front

Negative Charge Noun

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[neg-uh-tiv charj]

Back

Negative Charge

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The type of electric charge carried by electrons, resulting from an excess of electrons in an atom or object.

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Example: This image shows that rubbing a balloon on hair can cause the balloon to gain an excess of electrons, giving it a negative charge.

Front

Electron Noun

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[uh-lek-tron]

Back

Electron

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A stable, low-mass subatomic particle that possesses a fundamental negative electric charge and orbits the nucleus of an atom.

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Example: This diagram shows an electron as a particle orbiting the nucleus of an atom, distinguishing it from the protons and neutrons in the center.

Front

Nucleus Noun

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[noo-klee-uhs]

Back

Nucleus

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The massive, positively charged central core of an atom, containing protons and neutrons and surrounded by orbiting electrons.

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Example: The nucleus is the dense, central core of an atom containing positively charged protons and neutral neutrons, giving the nucleus an overall positive electric charge.

Front

Neutral Adjective

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[noo-truhl]

Back

Neutral

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The state of an object or atom having an exact balance between positive and negative charges, resulting in no net charge.

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Example: This diagram shows a neutral atom, which has an equal number of positive protons in its nucleus and negative electrons orbiting it, resulting in no overall electric charge.