Charge (physical quantity)

Charge is a physical quantity that describes the property of particles that have an electric charge. It is the basic unit of electric charge.

Charge is measured in units called coulombs (C) and is represented by the symbol "Q". Charge represents the number of electric charge carriers (for example, electrons or protons) in a given system.

There are two kinds of electric charge: positive (+) and negative (-). A positive charge indicates an excess of electrons in the system, while a negative charge indicates a lack of electrons.

Charge can be carried or transferred between different objects through an electrical circuit. The movement of charges creates an electric current, which is the basic mechanism for energy transfer in electrical systems.

The law of conservation of charge states that the total charge in a closed system cannot change. This means that charge can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred and redistributed between objects.

Charge is a fundamental quantity in electromagnetism and plays a key role in a wide variety of physical and engineering applications, including electrical circuits, electrostatic and electromagnetic fields, electrochemical processes, and more.