Chapter 13: Flowing Charges

Two kinds of electric charges exist. Benjamin Franklin named these charges positive and negative. A neutral object has an equal number of positive and negative charges. In comparison, a charged body has an imbalance of positive and negative charges (Kiefer & Landa, 1995; Serway & Faughn, 2002). One can charge conductors and insulators by rubbing, but when one rubs an insulator, only the rubbed area of the insulator becomes charged; charges cannot spread to uncharged sections. Charges distribute freely to all conductor regions when small area is charged. Charges flow when one connects metals and nonmetallic conductors in a closed circuit. However, flowing charges encounter resistance. While conductors offer low resistance to current flow, insulators have very high to infinite resistance and strongly oppose the flow of electric current. Electric current is the flow of charges. In static electricity charges do not flow; instead, they build up and discharge.