ELECTRIC CHARGE,

COULOMB‘S LAW,
ELECTRIC FIELDS AND
ELECTRIC FLUX
Physicists in the 20th century came to recognize four
different fundamental forces in nature.
1. Gravitational Force
2. Electromagnetic Force
3. Strong Nuclear Force
4. Weak Nuclear Force

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We already studied the force of gravity, which acts
on all objects with mass.
In this chapter, we begin the study of electric force,
which acts on all objects with a property called
charge.

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INTRODUCTION
Have you ever gotten a shock from touching a
doorknob or seen your hair get frizzy when
combing?
You experienced STATIC ELECTRICTY.

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STATIC ELECTRICITY
Static electricity is a stationary electrical charge that
is built-up on the surface of any material. It is the
result of an imbalance between electric charges.

The word electricity comes from the Greek word

“elektron” which means amber and is coined by
English physician, William Gilbert.

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STATIC ELECTRICITY
Typically, objects does not have a net charge. It is
neither negatively or positively charged.

In order for the object to accumulate a charge, a

transfer of electrons is required.

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STATIC ELECTRICITY
Removing electrons from a surface will cause that
surface to become positively charged.

Adding electrons from a surface will cause that

surface to become negatively charged.

Thus, if electrons are transferred from Object A to

Object B, Object A will become more positive or
positively charged while Object B will become more
negative or negatively charged.
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CAUSES: STATIC ELECTRICITY
In order for the object to have a charged, a transfer
of electrons is required.

Ways of Charging:
1. Charging by Friction
2. Charging by Conduction and Induction

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CHARGING BY FRICTION
One process to charge an object is through friction or
known as triboelectric effect. It refers to the transfer
of electrons from one object to another when both
objects are rubbed together.

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TRIBOELECTRIC EFFECT
Triboelectric effect tends to occur when both objects
are electrically insulating, meaning the electrons
cannot flow freely.

When two objects are rubbed together and then

separated, the surface of one object has gained a
positive charge, while the surface of the other has
gained a negative charge.

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TRIBOELECTRIC SERIES
Triboelectric series is a list that ranks materials
according to their tendency to gain or lose electrons
or what we called, electronegativity.

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The further away two materials
from each other, the greater the
charge transferred.

Materials next to each other

might not have become charged
at all.

Materials in neutral (middle) do

not have strong tendency to
give up or accept electrons.

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HISTORY
The ancient Greeks discovered as early as 600 BC
that when they rubbed amber with wool, the amber
could then attract other objects. It was discovered by
the Greek philosopher, Thales of Miletus.

Amber is a petrified or
fossilized tree resin.

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HISTORY
They thought that this strange phenomenon was a
unique property of amber. 

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HISTORY
In 1700, a French chemist, Guillaume du Fay,
discovered that there were two different types of
electricity.

1. When amber was rubbed with wool, it

acquired so-called “resinous electricity”.
2. When a glass was rubbed with silk, it
acquired so-called “vitreous electricity”.

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HISTORY
They concluded that electricity repels electricity of
the same kind, but attracts electricity of opposite
kind.

At this time, they thought that electricity was created

by friction. 

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HISTORY
In 18th Century, scientists came up with these:

1. There were two types of charge: positive

(vitreous) and negative (resinous).
2. Like charges repel one another and unlike
charges attract.
3. When two objects are rubbed together,
charge can be transferred from one to
the other, but the total charge remains
constant.
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EXPERIMENT
When amber is rubbed with wool, there is a transfer
of charge such that the amber acquires a negative
charge and the wool an equal positive charge.
When glass is rubbed with silk, there is a transfer of
charge such that the glass acquires a positive charge
and the silk an equal negative charge.

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AMBER AND WOOL

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AMBER AND WOOL
When the amber is rubbed with wool, there is a
TRANSFER of electrons from the wool to the amber.
The amber has now an excess of electrons and
becomes a negatively charged.
The wool has now a deficit of electrons and
becomes a positively charged.

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ELECTRIC CHARGE
Matter is made up of atoms which contain three
fundamental particles:
1. Electrons coined by George Stoney
discovered by J.J. Thomson

2. Protons coined by Ernest Rutherford

discovered by Ernest Rutherford

3. Neutrons coined by James Chadwick

discovered by James Chadwick
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ELECTRIC CHARGE

+ Proton (positive charge)

–

+ Neutron (neutral)
+ +
– Electron (negative charge)
– –

atom nucleus
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ELECTRIC CHARGE
Two of these particles exhibit a property of electric
charge.

Electrons carry a charge of negative one “electron unit”.

Protons carry a charge of positive one “electron unit”.

Electron unit is also known as elementary charged,

symbol: e.

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ELECTRIC CHARGE
Relative Charge Mass
Electron −1 𝑒 9.11𝑥10−31 𝑘𝑔
Proton +1 𝑒 1.67𝑥10−27 𝑘𝑔
Neutron 0 1.67𝑥10−27 𝑘𝑔

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NET CHARGE
Electrons = Protons NEUTRAL
Electrons > Protons NEGATIVE
Electrons < Protons POSITIVE

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CHARGE QUANTIZATION
The net charge (𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 ) of any object is quantized,
that is , the integral number of electron unit or
elementary charge.

Net charge (𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 ) contained by electrons (𝑁𝑒 ),

protons (𝑁𝑝 ), and neutrons 𝑁𝑛 is given by:

𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 = −𝑒𝑁𝑒 + 𝑒𝑁𝑝 + 0𝑁𝑛 = 𝑒 𝑁𝑝 − 𝑁𝑒 = ± 𝑛𝑒

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 CHARGE QUANTIZATION

Amber: +3e and -3e Amber: +3e and -5e

𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 = +3e − 3e = 0e 𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 = +3e − 5e = −2e

Wool: +3e and -3e Wool: +3e and -1e

𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 = +3e − 3e = 0e 𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 = +3e − 3e = +2e
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LAW OF CHARGE CONSERVATION
This is an example of a law of conservation of
electric charges which states that “the net amount of
electric charge produced in the process is zero” or
“no net electric charge can be created nor
destroyed”.

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UNITS OF CHARGE
One way to count charge is using “electron unit”.

1 electron = −1𝑒
5 electrons = −5𝑒
20 protons = + 20𝑒
100 neutrons = 0𝑒

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UNITS OF CHARGE
The SI derived unit of quantity of electric charge is
Coulomb, symbol: C.

Coulomb is defined as the quantity of charge that

passes through the cross section of an electrical
conductor carrying one ampere for one second.

1 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝐶 = 6.241509074 × 1018 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠

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UNITS OF CHARGE
1 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝐶 = 6.241 × 1018 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠

+1 𝐶 −19
1 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 = 18
= + 1.602 × 10 𝐶
6.241 × 10

−1 𝐶 −19
1 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛 = 18
= − 1.602 × 10 𝐶
6.241 × 10

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INSULATORS AND CONDUCTORS
Materials can be categorized into two according of
their treatment on charged particles.
Insulators Conductors
- hold charges almost in - allow charges to move
fixed position through them freely
- current will not flow - current flows easily
- charges cannot re- - charges may re-
arrange arrange themselves
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INSULATORS AND CONDUCTORS
Insulators Conductors
Rubber Silver
Glass Gold
Diamond Copper
Drywood Steel
Oil Sea Water

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INSULATORS AND CONDUCTORS
There is another type of materials in which its
conductivity is like those of conductors and insulators.
They can be pure elements such as silicon or
germanium, or compounds such as gallium arsenide
or cadmium selenide. These materials are called
semiconductors.

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INSULATORS AND CONDUCTORS
Insulators can be easily charged by friction as the
extra electrons gained cannot easily escape.

Conductors cannot easily charged by friction as the

extra electrons gained can easily escape.

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INDUCED CHARGES
Another process to charge a neutral object is through
conduction and induction.
Charging by conduction refers to the transfer of
electrons when the charged object touched the
neutral object.
Charging by induction refers to the production of
charge in a neutral object by bringing a charged
object close to it but not touching it.

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CHARGING BY CONDUCTION
You have an uncharged object and a negatively
charged object. If the negatively charged object is in
contact with the uncharged object, the free electrons
from the negatively charged object will be attracted
to the uncharged object and some of these free
electrons will pass through it. Since the uncharged
object gain some electrons, it will now become a
negatively charged object and the negatively
charged object will now become less negatively
charged than before.
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CHARGING BY INDUCTION
Induction does not require transfer of electrons nor does it
involve direct contact. It rather uses the principles that “like
charges repel and unlike charges attract”. If the
negatively charged object is brought near the surface of
the uncharged object, the charges on the uncharged
object will get separated and the positive charges will get
attracted and will move to the side where the negatively
charged object is located, while the negative charges will
get repelled and will move to the opposite side of the
negatively charged object. It can be said that the charges
on the uncharged object have been induced.
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