To charge or not to charge?

J M Sanchez-Ruiz1, G I Makhatadze

  • 1Faculty of Science, Department of Chemical Physics and Institute of Biotechnology, University of Granada, 18071-Granada, Spain. sanchezr@goliat.ugr.es

Related Concept Videos

Formal Charges02:42

Formal Charges

In some cases, there are seemingly more than one valid Lewis structures for molecules and polyatomic ions. The concept of formal charges can be used to help predict the most appropriate Lewis structure when more than one reasonable structure exists.
Electric Charges01:11

Electric Charges

From lightning during thunderstorms to electronic devices, the phenomenon of electromagnetism is all around us. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It has been known to humanity in various forms for thousands of years. For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus recorded his experiments on static electricity using amber and fur in the sixth century BC.
The English physicist William Gilbert studied the phenomenon of static electricity in...
Sources and Properties of Electric Charge01:15

Sources and Properties of Electric Charge

All objects we see around us consist of atoms, which combine to form molecules. The lightest element in the universe is hydrogen, and a hydrogen atom consists of a positively charged proton and a negatively charged electron. The magnitude of charge that a proton and an electron carry are the same, and it is the fundamental unit of charge. In SI units, it is 1.602 times 10-19 coulomb.
Most atoms additionally constitute another fundamental particle, the neutron. It carries no electrical charge. A...
Charging Conductors By Induction01:15

Charging Conductors By Induction

The Earth is a good conductor of electricity, and it is so big that it can be considered an infinite source or sink of charges. It can easily exchange charges with any matter.
Generally, conductors like metals do not allow any excess charge to be present on them. Any excess charge added to metals easily flows away, for example, when a metal is placed on the Earth. This process is called earthing.
However, conductors can be charged by a process called induction. For example, consider charging a...
Charge on a Conductor01:26

Charge on a Conductor

An interesting property of a conductor in static equilibrium is that extra charges on the conductor end up on its outer surface, regardless of where they originate. Consider a hollow metallic conductor with a uniform surface charge density. Since the conductor itself is in electrostatic equilibrium, there should not be any electric field inside the conductor. Now, assume a Gaussian surface enclosing the hollow portion. Applying Gauss's law, the inner surface of the hollow conductor will not...
Charge and Current01:14

Charge and Current

Electric charge is the most fundamental quantity in an electric circuit. The effects of electric charge are encountered daily, such as when a wool sweater sticks to the human body or when a person receives a shock while walking on a carpet.
Charge is an inherent property of the atomic particles that make up matter and is measured in units called coulombs (C). Matter is composed of atoms, each consisting of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Electrons have a negative charge (-e), while protons...