 Charge is the inherent/intrinsic property of the

matter due to which it produces and experiences the

electrical and magnetic effects.

Physical quantity Unit Dimension

Charge Couloum or Ampere- [AT]
second
Electrostatic Constant Newton-m2/Coulomb2
K
Absolute relativity ε0 Coulomb2/Newton-m2 [M-1L-3A2T4]
Electric Field Newton/Coulomb [M1L1T-3A-1]
Electric Dipole Coulomb-metre
Electric Flux Newton-(metre)2/ [ML3T-3A-1]
Coulomb

 Like charges repel each other.

 Unlike/opposite charges attract each other.

 The property which differentiates the two kinds of

charges is called the polarity of charge.

 Point charge :- If the sizes of charged bodies are

very small as compared to the distance between

them, we treat them as point charges.

Properties of the charge :-

Additivity of charges

 Charge is a scalar quantity. Hence, the charge has

magnitude but no direction. If a system contains two

point charges q1 and q2, the total charge of the

 system is obtained simply by adding algebraically q1

and q2 i.e., charges add up like real numbers.

Conservation of Charge

 Charge is conserved. Total charge of an isolated

system always remains constant. This is also called

as “Law of conservation of charge.”

 The electric charges can neither be created nor be

destroyed, they can only be transferred from one

body to another.

Quantization of charges

 Charge is quantized.

 The smallest charge particle that can exist is

electron. That is why charge is always transferred in

the multiple of charge of electron.

 The charge on any body must be an integral multiple

of a basic unit of charge represented by e.

 Q = + ne, where Q is total charge, n is integer, e is

charge on an electron.

 Charge is always associated with mass.

  Charge is realistically invariant, whereas mass is

variant.

 The mass of a body changes after being charged.

When a body is given a positive charge, its mass

decreases. When a body is given a negative charge,

its mass increases.

 The clouds get charged due to friction.

Electrostatic Induction:-

 Inducing body neither gains nor loses charge.

 The nature of induced charge is always opposite to

that of inducing charge.

 Induced charge can be lesser or equal to inducing

charge (but never greater).

 Induction takes place only in bodies (either

conducting or non-conducting) and not in particles.

Charging by conduction:-

 Contact is necessary.

 Only conductors can be charged by this method.

 In this method, both conductors will acquire same

nature of charge.
  Total charge of the system distributes in the ratio of

their radii (only for spherical objects).

 There are two types of charges.

(1) Positive charge – due to deficiency of electrons

(2) Negative charge – due to excess of electrons

 The smallest unit of charge is Franklin

 The largest unit of charge is Faraday

 S.I. Unit of the charge is Coulomb or Ampere-second

 CGS Unit of the charge is e.s.u.

 1 Coulomb = 3 x 109 esu

 Dimensional Formula for the charge is A1T1.

 A body is said to be electrified or charged whenever

it gains or loses one or more electron.

 Work function :- It is the minimum amount of

energy required to eject an electron.

Coulomb’s Law :-

“The electrostatics force of interaction between two point

charges is directly proportional to the product of

magnitude of charges and inversely proportional to the

square of distance between them.”

 Electrostatic constant K = 9 x 109 Newton-

m2/Coulomb2 = 1/4πε0. It is medium dependent.

 Dimension of Absolute permittivity (ε0) is

 ε0 - Absolute permittivity

 εr – Relative permittivity or dielectric constant k =

ε/ε0

 Permittivity is a material’s property that affects the

Coulomb force between two point charges in the

material.

 Electrostatic force is a central force as it acts along

the line joining two point charges.

 Coulomb Law is valid only for point charges.

 Coulomb Law is valid for stationary charges.

 Coulomb Law follows inverse square law.

 Electrostatic Force is a conservative Force.

 Coulomb’s Law is an experimental law.

Similarity and differences between Coulomb Law
and Gravitation Law

Similarities :-

 Both follow inverse square law.

 Both act along the line joining centre of bodies.

Differences :-

 G is universal constant, whereas K depends upon the

medium.

 Gravitation force is attractive only, whereas

Electrostatic Force can be attractive or repulsive.

Electric Field :-

 Formula E = kQ/r2 is valid for point charge.

 The electric field is always radially outward from

positive charge and radially inward towards negative

charge.

 Electric field due to a point charge at its own

location is NOT DEFINED.

 Electric field at the centre of a symmetrical charge

distribution is always zero.

Properties of the Electric Field Lines

 Electric Field Lines originate from positive charge or

“∞” and terminate on negative charge or “∞”.

 Tangent drawn at any point in Electric Field Line

gives us the net Electric Field.

 Electric Field Lines do not form closed loops.

 The density of electric field lines i.e. number of

electric field lines from a charge is directly

proportional to the magnitude of the field.

 Electric Field Lines never intersect each other.

 Straight, parallel and equispaced lines represent

Uniform Electric Field.

 Electric Field inside the material of conductor

(metal) is zero and perpendicular to its surface.

Electric Dipole :-

 An electric dipole is a system of two equal and

opposite point charges separated by a very small

and finite distance.

  Dipole moment = magnitude of charge x distance

between two point charges.

 Net force on electric dipole is always zero in any

position under Uniform Electric Field.

 Torque on electric dipole always tries to align dipole

along the electric field.

Area Vector :-

Area is a vector quantity.

The direction of area vector is perpendicular to the

surface.

Electric Flux :-

 The number of electric field lines passing through

normally through an area.

 Area vector is always perpendicular to area.

 Open surface – 2 possibilities for area vector to be

perpendicular to the surface

 Closed surface – Area vector is always outward

normal.