ELECTROSTATICS

1. Contrast the net charge on a conductor to the “free charges” in the conductor.

• 1. The net charge on the conductor is the unbalanced charge, or excess charge after neutrality has been established. The net charge is the sum of all of the positive and negative charges in the conductor. If a neutral conductor has extra electrons added to it, then the net charge is negative. If a neutral conductor has electrons removed from it, then the net charge is positive. If a neutral conductor has the same amount of positive and negative charge, then the net charge is zero.

• Free charges in a conductor refer to those electrons (usually 1 or 2 per atom) that are so loosely attracted to the nucleus that they are “free” to be moved around in the conductor by an external electric force. Neutral conductors have these free electrons.