A property of an atom that is gained or lost when it gains or loses electrons
Atom
Made up of negatively charged electrons surrounding a positively charged nucleus. The nucleus contains protons, which are positively charged, and neutrons, which are neutral (have no net electric charge)
An atom gains or loses electrons
Develops an electric charge
An atom loses electrons
Becomes positively charged
An atom gains electrons
Becomes negatively charged
According to “The Law of Conservation of Charge”, charges cannot be created nor destroyed but can be transferred from one material to another
Processes of transferring charge
Friction
Induction
Conduction
Charging by Friction
Rubbing two objects together causes electrons to move from one object to another, creating a charge
Charging by Induction
A neutrally charged object that comes in contact with a charged object will be attracted to that object
Charging by Conduction
The behavior of a charged material depends on its ability to allow charges to flow through it. Materials like metals that allow charges to flow through them are called conductors, while materials like rubber and paraffin which do not allow charges to flow through them are called insulators
Do your hands get warmer? The force involved in this phenomenon is what we call friction. It happens when two objects rub or push against each other. When you rub one material toanother material, some electrons may be transferred, leaving them both with a netelectric charge
