Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force in an electric field. There are two types of charges: positive and negative. Like charges repel, while opposite charges attract.

Types of Charge

• Positive charge: Carried by protons.
• Negative charge: Carried by electrons.

Unit of Charge

The SI unit of electric charge is the coulomb (C). One coulomb is the amount of charge transferred by a current of one ampere in one second.

Charge of:

• Electron: \( -1.6 \times 10^{-19} \, \text{C} \)
• Proton: \( +1.6 \times 10^{-19} \, \text{C} \)

Basic Properties of Electric Charge

• Quantization: Charge exists in discrete packets. The smallest unit is the charge of an electron or proton.
• Conservation: Charge can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be transferred from one body to another.
• Additivity: The total charge of a system is the algebraic sum of all individual charges.
• Attraction and Repulsion: Like charges repel; unlike charges attract.
• Transfer of Charge: Charges can be transferred through conduction, induction, or friction.

Written by Thenura Dilruk