conservation of charge
What conservation of charge means in Physics GCSE, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of conservation of charge
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Reference: OCR
An emission equation is balanced when the atomic (proton) numbers on both sides agree, making the total charge on the left equal the total on the right.
Charge is not used up as it travels round, so the rate at which charge enters any section equals the rate at which it leaves.
The total atomic number on the right equals the atomic number on the left, because charge is conserved.
Every electron that left one surface arrived on the other, so the pair together is still neutral.
The total charge is conserved, so the two objects always carry equal and opposite charges.
Charge is conserved, so the pair together is still neutral.
Topics that use conservation of charge
- Nuclear equations (AQA GCSE)
- Static charge (AQA GCSE)
- Radioactive emissions (OCR GCSE)
- Static and charge (OCR GCSE)
Related terms
- conservation of mass number
- electric field
- Absorbing materials
- Alpha emission
- attraction and repulsion
- balanced nuclear equations
- balancing equations
- beta decay
Using conservation of charge in the exam
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