Static charges: Electricity: Physics: GCSE (9:1)

• Charge

  A property of matter that causes a non-contact force to be exerted when two charged objects are brought together

  
• Two types of charge

  Positive and negative

  
• Like charges


  Repel each other

  
• Opposite charges

  Attract each other

  
• Charge on an atom

  Atoms are neutral because they contain equal numbers of positively and negatively charged particles

  
• Charge on a proton

  A proton carries a positive charge (+1)

  
• Charge on a neutron

  A neutron carries no charge

  
• Charge on an electron

  An electron carries a negative charge (–1)

  
• Ion

  An atom (or molecule) with an overall electric charge due to losing or gaining one or more electrons

  
• Positively charged ion


  An atom (or molecule) that has lost one or more electron

  
• Negatively charged ion


  An atom (or molecule) that has gained one or more electron

  
• Static electricity

  A build up of electric charge on an insulated object due to friction or induction

  
• Insulator


  A material that does not allow charge or heat to easily pass through it

  
• Charging by friction

  When certain insulating materials are rubbed against each other and become electrically charged; negatively charged electrons are rubbed off one material and on to the other

  
• How a material becomes negatively charged

  It gains electrons

  
• How a material becomes positively charged

  It loses electrons