Definition

1. Noun:
   • A physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field: Electric charge is a fundamental property of subatomic particles, such as protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge). It is quantized and conserved.
   • The quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body: This refers to the net amount of charge, construed as an excess or deficiency of electrons, resulting in either a positive or negative charge.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The electric charge of a proton is positive.
  • Rubbing the balloon on wool gave it a static electric charge.
  • The capacitor stores a significant electric charge.

Advanced Usage

• "To hold an electric charge": To retain a net quantity of charge.
  • A Leyden jar can hold a large electric charge.
• "Distribution of electric charge": The manner in which charge is arranged in or on an object.
  • The distribution of electric charge on the conductor's surface is uniform.

Variants and Related Words

• Charge (n): Often used as a shorter form of "electric charge" in physics contexts.
  • The total charge in the system is constant.
• Charged (adj): Having a net electric charge.
  • The rod became charged after contact with the fur.
• Electrostatics (n): The branch of physics that studies stationary electric charges.

Synonyms

• Charge (in physics contexts)
• Electrostatic charge

Related Phrases

• Unit of electric charge: The coulomb (C) is the standard SI unit.
  • One coulomb is a very large amount of electric charge.
• Conservation of electric charge: A fundamental law stating that the total electric charge in an isolated system never changes.
  • The experiment demonstrated the conservation of electric charge.

Noun

1. the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body (either positive or negative) and construed as an excess or deficiency of electrons
   • the battery needed a fresh charge