Bronnen en eigenschappen van elektrische lading

All matter is made up of atoms. An atom consists of three subatomic particles: electrons, protons, and neutrons.

The atomic nucleus consists of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons bound by nuclear force.

The SI unit of charge is coulomb. The magnitude of the charge of an electron is the same as that of a proton, which is 1.602 times 10^-19 coulomb.

This magnitude is the fundamental unit of charge, as all other charges in nature are its integral multiples. Thus, charges are quantized.

Since electrons are negatively charged, an atom is electrically neutral when it has an equal number of protons and electrons; most objects around us are electrically neutral.

The total charge in the universe is found to be conserved. It can neither be created nor destroyed.

Moreover, the electric charge is locally conserved. The amount of charge in a region changes only because of the flow of charge into it or away from it.