Introduction

STEM-strand General Physics 2

Hopefully, we’ll find the answers to:
o What is an electric charge with reference to
subatomic particles?
o What does it mean when we say charges are
‘quantized’?
o How can a body become electrically charged?
o How can we determine the amount of charge
of an electrically-charged particle?
 Recall: From Chemistry
What are atoms?
Atoms are the basic building
block of all matter. They are
composed of protons,
neutrons and electrons.
 Electric Charge
In the atomic level, an electric charge determines
the electric and magnetic interactions between
subatomic particles and other charged particles.
 Electric Charge
o represented by the symbol q
o measured in Coulomb (C)
o charges of subatomic particles are expessed in
terms of e (the charge of either a proton or an
electron.
1 C = 6.242 x 1018 e
 Properties of Electric Charges
o charges are conserved
• An electric charge cannot be created nor
destroyed; they can be transferred from
one object to another via charge carriers.
o charges are quantized
• The net charge of any object is either zero
or whole number multiples of the basic
charge e.
 Quick Quiz 1
Which of the following statements is false?
A. A cation will attract another cation.
B. Positive and negative electrical charges
attract each other.
C. A proton will repel another proton.
 Sample 1
• In terms of e and Coulomb (C), what is the
charge of a fluorine ion that contains 10
electrons and 9 protons?

Ans: ‒ e or ‒ 1.602 x 10-19 C

 Quick Quiz 2
In terms of e and Coulomb (C), determine the net charge
of the following:
A) An object that has a net charge of +2.50 C.
B) an ion with of 11 neutrons, 12 protons and 10
electrons
C) 13Al3+
 Conductors and Insulators
o Any substance that has free
electrons and allows charge to
move relatively freely through
it is called a conductor.
o Other substances, such as This power adapter uses metal wires and
glass, do not allow charges to connectors to conduct electricity from the wall
socket to a laptop computer. The conducting wires
move through them. These are allow electrons to move freely through the cables,
which are shielded by rubber and plastic. These
called insulators. materials act as insulators that don’t allow
electric charge to escape outward.
Let’s revisit our objectives:
o What is an electric charge with reference to
subatomic particles?
o What does it mean when we say charges are
‘quantized’?
o How can a body become electrically charged?
o How can we determine the amount of charge
of an electrically-charged particle?