Electrostatics

Back to Electricity_and_Magnetism

Textbook

University Physics Volume 2: Chapter 5

Theory

Charge, Conductors, and Insulators: Introduction to Electrostatics

Electric Charge (q)

• A basic Property: Objects can have a positive or negative electric charge.
• Types: Positive charge: More protons than electrons, Negative charge: more electrons than protons.
• Conservation: Charge is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred.
• Quantized: Q=n*e. Charge exists in packets of e = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C .

Conductors

• Definition: Materials where electric charges (electrons or ions) can move freely.
• Examples: Metals like copper and silver. Salt-Solutions.

Insulators

• Definition: Materials where charges can’t move freely.
• Examples: Glass, rubber, and plastic.

---

---

Electrostatics Simulations

Check out these links for playing with charges:

• Be careful John Travolta!
  

• Charge up a balloon
  

These and more links can be found at:

http://www.thephysicsteacher.ie/lcphysics19staticelectricity.html

See how lightning strikes:

Lightning applet

Back to Electricity_and_Magnetism