Electric ChargeCambridge IGCSE Physics: Flashcards

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What are the two types of electric charge?

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What are the two types of electric charge?: Positive and negative.
What happens between two like charges? Two unlike charges?: Like charges (both positive or both negative) repel; unlike charges (one positive, one negative) attract.
In what unit is electric charge measured?: Coulombs (C).
What actually transfers during charging by friction?: Electrons (negative charge) — never protons.
What type of charge does a material gain if it gains electrons during friction?: Negative charge.
What type of charge does a material gain if it loses electrons during friction?: Positive charge.
Define an electric field.: A region in which an electric charge experiences a force.
How is the direction of an electric field at a point defined?: As the direction of the force on a positive charge placed at that point.
Describe the electric field pattern around an isolated point charge.: Field lines radiate outwards from a positive charge, or inwards towards a negative charge.
Describe the electric field pattern between two oppositely charged parallel plates.: Straight, evenly spaced field lines running from the positive plate to the negative plate.
What makes a material a good electrical conductor?: It contains free electrons that can move through it, allowing charge to disperse easily.
What makes a material an electrical insulator?: It has no free electrons able to move through it, so charge placed on it stays localised.
Why are insulators, not conductors, used in charging-by-friction demonstrations?: Because charge placed on an insulator stays where it is, whereas a conductor would let the charge disperse immediately.
How could you experimentally show that a charged object attracts small pieces of paper?: Rub an insulator (e.g. a balloon) to charge it, then bring it near small pieces of paper and observe them being attracted.
How could you experimentally distinguish a conductor from an insulator?: Connect a charged object to the material and see whether the charge disperses quickly (conductor) or stays localised (insulator).