4.5.2

Conservation of Charge

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Conservation of Charge

Charge is a conserved quantity in all interactions.

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Conservation of charge

  • The law of conservation of charge states that the total charge is constant in any process.
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Amber and cloth

  • Both amber and cloth are originally neutral, with equal positive and negative charges.
  • When rubbed together, some negative charge is transferred to the amber, leaving the cloth with a net positive charge.
  • When separated, the amber and cloth now have net charges, but the absolute value of the net positive and negative charges will be equal.
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Particle accelerators

  • In particle accelerators, mass can be created from energy in the amount m=Ec2m=\frac{E}{c^2}.
  • Whenever a charged particle is created, another with opposite charge is always created along with it, so that the total charge created is zero.
  • Usually, the two particles are “matter-antimatter” counterparts, like an electron and a positron.

Jump to other topics

1Space, Time & Motion

2The Particulate Nature of Matter

3Wave Behaviour

4Fields

4.1Circular Motion

4.2Newton's Law of Gravitation

4.3Fields

4.4Fields at Work

4.5Electric Fields

4.6Magnetic Effect of Electric Currents

4.7Heating Effect of Currents

4.8Electromagnetic Induction

4.9Power Generation & Transmission

4.10Capacitance

5Nuclear & Quantum Physics

6Measurements

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