Lecture 1

Electric charge

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Electric charge

an intrinsic property of matter, just like mass

SI unit: coulomb (C)
can be positive or negative
opposite charges attract, like charges repel

Remark
Theres nothing negative about negative charges.

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Structure of an atom

If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed,

and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures,
what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?
I believe it is. . .that all things are made of atoms. . .
Richard Feynman

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Structure of an atom

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Charge is quantized

Definition (Elementary charge (e))

The magnitude of electron and proton charge. It is equal to 1.6 1019 C.
Charges come in multiples of the elementary charge

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Conductors and insulators

conductors electrons move freely

insulators electrons are bound to atoms
conductor
metal
water

insulator
plastic
air

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Charging by rubbing

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Charging by rubbing

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Charging by rubbing

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#LaundryDay

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#LaundryDay

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#LaundryDay

Why do clothes stick together in the dryer?

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Charge is conserved

The total charge of a closed system is a constant.

My hair and my comb are initially neutral.

If I comb my hair and the comb ends up with a charge Q,
what is the final charge of my hair? +Q!

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Charge is conserved

Consider two identical metal

balls.
Total charge initially:
q + 3q = +2q.
If the objects are identical, this
total charge will be distributed
equally to each of them. So each
would end up with a charge of
+2q
2 = +q .

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Charge is conserved

Would the answer be the

same? No! Since the larger
metal ball could take in/spit
out more electrons, it would
end up with the larger chunk
of the systems total charge.

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Grounding

Remark
Earth is a very, very large conductor. If we place a charged conductor in
contact with the Earth, essentially all of its charge is sucked in by the
Earth, thereby making the conductor electrically neutral. We say that the
object is grounded.

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Charging by induction

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Charging by induction

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Charging by induction

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Charging by induction

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Charging by induction

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Application of charging by induction

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Quiz!

Consider three identical conducting cubes, A, B, and C , with

corresponding charges as shown in the figure. Cube A and Cube B were
made to touch each other. Cube A was then made to touch Cube C .
What are the final charges on each cube?

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Quiz!

Solution:
When Cube A and Cube B are made to touch each other, their total
charge, 2q + 0 = +2q, were distributed equally to each of them. So each
would end up with a charge of +2q
2 = +q.
When Cube A and Cube B are then made to touch each other, their total
charge, +q + (4q) = 3q, were distributed equally to each of them. So
3
each would end up with a charge of 3q
2 = 2 q.
3
3
qA = q, qB = +q, qC = q.
2
2
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