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| [[Category:Done 2015-09-06]] [[Category:Phets]]
| | #REDIRECT[[electric charge]] |
| <onlyinclude>'''Charge''', which is short for electrical charge, is a fundamental physical property that causes objects to feel an attractive or repulsive [[force]] toward one another.</onlyinclude> The fundamental unit of charge is the [[coulomb]] (C). There are two types of charge: positive charge (exhibited by [[proton]]s), and negative charge (exhibited by [[electron]]s). [[Coulomb's law]] describes the electric forces between charged particles; if the charges move the [[electromagnetic force]] gets more complicated.
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| The movement or [[current|flow]] of charged particles is what produces [[electricity]] and [[magnet]]ism. In fact, a moving stream of electric charge is electric [[current]]. This movement of charge can be induced by the relative movement of a [[magnet]] and coil of [[wire]] - this is the fundamental design for [[electric generator]]s.
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| When the number of electrons in an [[atom]] doesn't equal the number of protons, the atom is said to have a net charge. Charges add just like positive and negative numbers, so a charge of +1 exactly cancels a charge of -1. This is why positive and negative numbers are used to represent charge, the charges cancel just like positive and negative numbers. When a specific atom has a net charge, the atom is said to be an [[ion]] (the [[ion]] page includes a PhET simulation about this). The process of adding or removing charge from an atom is called ionizing, and when that's done with [[radiation]], that's called [[ionizing radiation]].
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| Charge can also be separated from atoms (therefore making some ions) by rubbing different types of materials together. This is what creates an [[electric field]] around a balloon that's been rubbed on someone's hair, or a towel. This is also why [[static electricity]] builds up on clothes that have been tumbling around in a [[clothes dryer]]. There's a PhET simulation below on separating charge with [[friction]].
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| To learn more about charge please see [http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elecur.html#c2 hyperphysics].
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| ==PhET Simulation on Charge from friction==
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| The [http://phet.colorado.edu/ University of Colorado] has graciously allowed us to use the following PhET simulation. Static electricity comes from the separation of positive and negative charge through [[friction]] (this happens in a clothes dryer, which is why dryer sheets are needed). Net charges cause an electric force; note the polarization that happens in the wall. Check out the PhET animation below to explore how it works.
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| <html><iframe src="http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balloons-and-static-electricity/latest/balloons-and-static-electricity_en.html" width="832" height="459"></iframe></html>
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| [[Category:Uploaded]] | |
