Answer to Question #81069 in Electricity and Magnetism for Subhash

Question

What exactly is a charge?

Answer 1

The physical quantity that characterizes the ability of bodies to create electromagnetic fields and participate in electromagnetic interaction.
An electric charge is the property of particles, of which are formed atoms and molecules. The kernels of the atoms have a positive charge, and the electrons are negative. The atoms are neutral, since in each of them there are so many electrons to compensate for the positive charge of the nucleus. The laws of quantum mechanics predetermine the fact that heavy nuclei are surrounded like a cloud of light electrons. In the case of excess or lack of electrons, atoms become negative or positively charged ions.