Conservation of charge and electron flow?

In summary, the conservation of charge states that if the charge of a body is decreasing or increasing, charge must be leaving or entering the body. It does not necessarily mean that the charge of a single object must be conserved, but rather the total charge in the system. Therefore, it is not necessary for the same amount of electrons to enter a charged body as the amount that leaves it, as long as the total charge in the system remains constant. The conservation of charge also does not prevent a body from being charged in the first place, as this would go against the concept of charge conservation.
  • #1
HMS-776
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I am trying to understand the conservation of charge regarding electron flow through a charged body.

Is there any thing about the conservation of charge which explains that if a body is charged and electrons leave the body the same amount of electrons must enter it to conserve it's charge?

What if the body was given a charge by an applied circuit, and was then put in a conductive medium? Would the amount of electrons leaving the body equal the amount of electrons which enter it? If so, could you control the amount of electrons which leave the body by limiting the electrons which enter it, even though the body was placed in a conductive medium?
 
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  • #2
HMS-776 said:
Is there any thing about the conservation of charge which explains that if a body is charged and electrons leave the body the same amount of electrons must enter it to conserve it's charge?
In general, no. Conservation of charge simply says that if the charge of the body is decreasing (or increasing) then charge must be leaving (or entering) the body. It doesn't mean that the charge of a single object must be conserved, it means that the total charge in the system must be conserved.

If the charge of an individual body was always conserved... there would be no way to charge it in the first place.

Does that answer your question?
 

FAQ: Conservation of charge and electron flow?

1. What is the conservation of charge?

The conservation of charge is a fundamental law in physics that states that the total electric charge in a closed system remains constant over time. This means that charge cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or redistributed.

2. How does conservation of charge relate to electron flow?

Electron flow is the movement of electrons from one location to another. In order for the conservation of charge to hold true, the amount of electrons entering a system must be equal to the amount exiting the system. This is because electrons carry a negative charge, and the total charge in a system must remain constant.

3. What happens when there is a break in the flow of electrons?

If there is a break in the flow of electrons, the conservation of charge still holds true. This means that the electrons must accumulate on one side of the break to maintain balance. For example, if a wire is cut, the electrons will accumulate on one side of the cut and create a buildup of charge.

4. Can the conservation of charge be violated?

No, the conservation of charge is a fundamental law of physics and has been proven to hold true in all observed systems. Any apparent violation of this law can be explained by a misunderstanding of the system or a lack of knowledge about the transfer of charge.

5. How does the conservation of charge affect electrical circuits?

The conservation of charge is the basis for understanding electrical circuits. In a closed circuit, the flow of electrons must be continuous in order to maintain a constant charge. This means that the amount of current entering a circuit must be equal to the amount exiting the circuit, and any disruption in this flow will affect the operation of the circuit.

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