Charge Invariant: Intuitive Reason?

In summary, there is no intuitive reason for why charge should be an invariant quantity. It is simply taken as an experimental fact in physics. The conservation of charge is a fundamental principle and is considered an axiom in physics. There have been many assumptions and educated guesses in physics, such as Ben Franklin's belief about the direction of positive charge flow, and Einstein's postulate about the constancy of the speed of light. However, these have been proven or disproven through experimental evidence.
  • #1
Swapnil
459
6
Why is charge an invariant quantity? My professor once said that that is an experimental fact. I believe him. But is there an "intuitive" reason for why a charge should be an invariant quanity?
 
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  • #2
Swapnil said:
Why is charge an invariant quantity? My professor once said that that is an experimental fact. I believe him. But is there an "intuitive" reason for why a charge should be an invariant quanity?
No, there is no intuitive reason that I know of. The conservation of charge is simply taken to be an axiom in physics.

Pete
 
  • #3
I dislike that wording. There are no "axioms" in physics. There is only "experimental evidence".
 
  • #4
Swapnil said:
Why is charge an invariant quantity? My professor once said that that is an experimental fact. I believe him. But is there an "intuitive" reason for why a charge should be an invariant quanity?
"invariant" here could be ambiguous. If you mean "conserved", that is an experimental question with overwhelming experimental verification.
More likely, it means invariant with respect to a Lorentz transformation. This can be proven mathematiclly, starting with the continuity equation
(which follows from charge conservtion).
The proof is a bit tricky.
 
  • #5
HallsofIvy said:
I dislike that wording. There are no "axioms" in physics. There is only "experimental evidence".

There have been many axioms or assumptions (educated guesses in physics). For instance, Ben Franklin and his GUESS that it was positive charge that was free flowing in the wire. Positive charges DO flow in the direction opposite the electrons, but Franklin believed it was the positive charges in the wire that were the physical objects moving, which is the opposite of what we know now.

Also, the idea that the speed of light was constant was in fact an axiom (Einstein calls it a POSTULATE) in his original paper. There was no experimental evidence for this. Just as Newton assumed all of his laws are the same in all inertial frames, Einstein assumed ALL laws of physics, beyond Newton's, were the same.
 
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FAQ: Charge Invariant: Intuitive Reason?

What is charge invariance?

Charge invariance is a fundamental principle in physics that states the total charge of a closed system remains constant, regardless of any interactions or transformations that may occur within the system.

Why is charge invariance important?

Charge invariance is important because it helps to explain and predict the behavior of charged particles and systems. It is a fundamental law of nature that has been tested and verified through numerous experiments and observations.

How do we know that charge is conserved?

We know that charge is conserved because it has been repeatedly observed in various physical phenomena, including electromagnetic interactions, chemical reactions, and subatomic particle interactions. Additionally, the conservation of electric charge is mathematically described by the Gauss's law, one of the four Maxwell's equations.

What are the implications of charge invariance?

The implications of charge invariance are far-reaching and have significant impacts on our understanding of the universe. For example, it helps explain the behavior of atoms, the formation of chemical bonds, and the interactions between subatomic particles. It also plays a crucial role in the development of technologies such as electronics and telecommunications.

Are there any exceptions to charge invariance?

Currently, there are no known exceptions to charge invariance. However, some theories, such as Grand Unified Theories and certain models of dark matter, propose that charge may not be conserved in certain extreme conditions, such as during the formation of the universe or in interactions involving high-energy particles.

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