Negative charge is defined as which of the following?

Negative charge is defined as which of the following?

• A. The type of charge that flows in a conductor at rest
• B. The charge of a neutral atom
• C. The electrical charge carried by a body which has an excess of electrons
• D. The absence of any charge

Answer: (C)

Negative charge is the electrical charge carried by a body that has an excess of electrons. Electrons carry negative charge, so when an object gains more electrons than it has protons, its net charge becomes negative. A neutral atom or object has equal numbers of protons and electrons and therefore has no net charge. The absence of any charge describes neutrality, not negativity, and the idea of charge flowing in a conductor at rest refers to current, which is movement of charge rather than the sign of the charge itself.

Negative charge is the electrical charge carried by a body that has an excess of electrons. Electrons carry negative charge, so when an object gains more electrons than it has protons, its net charge becomes negative. A neutral atom or object has equal numbers of protons and electrons and therefore has no net charge. The absence of any charge describes neutrality, not negativity, and the idea of charge flowing in a conductor at rest refers to current, which is movement of charge rather than the sign of the charge itself.