AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism / Unit 8: Electric Charges, Fields, and Gauss's Law
8.2 Electric Charge and the Process of Charging
Notes
Charge is conserved and quantized. Conductors let charge move freely; insulators don't.
- Charging by friction, conduction (contact) and induction (with grounding).
- Polarization lets a charged object attract a neutral one.
Practice
A charged rod attracts neutral paper bits because:
Closer opposite charge wins.
Two identical conducting spheres with +8 nC and −2 nC touch. Each ends with:
Total +6 shared.
In a conductor, charge moves because:
Mobile electrons.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 8 test.