Law of conservation of charge

Definition

The law of conservation of charge states that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant over time. This implies that charge can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred from one part of the system to another.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The net quantity of electric charge in any closed system is always conserved.
2. In any physical process or interaction, the sum total of positive and negative charges remains unchanged.
3. Charge conservation is a fundamental principle observed at both macroscopic and microscopic levels.
4. In particle physics, this principle ensures that during reactions, such as annihilation or decay, the total charge before and after the reaction is the same.
5. This law underlies many fundamental equations in electromagnetism, including Gauss's Law.

Review Questions

• What does the law of conservation of charge state about the creation or destruction of charge?
• How does the law of conservation apply to a closed system in terms of electric charges?
• Can you give an example where the law of conservation of charge is observed at a microscopic level?

Related terms

Electric Charge: A property of subatomic particles that causes them to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field.

Gauss's Law: $$\text{One of Maxwell's equations which states that the net flux through a closed surface is proportional to the enclosed electric charge.}$$

Electromagnetism: $$\text{A branch of physics involving the study of electric and magnetic fields and their interactions with matter.}$$