What is the true definition of electric charge?

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    Charge Definition
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the definition of electric charge, exploring its nature, measurement, and conceptual understanding. Participants examine both the elementary charge and the broader implications of charge as a property of matter.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants seek a clear definition of electric charge, questioning its fundamental nature.
  • One participant references a Wikipedia article that provides an alternative definition of the coulomb in terms of elementary charges.
  • Another participant emphasizes the distinction between the unit of charge and the concept of elementary charge.
  • A claim is made that charge is a measure of electrical participation of matter, suggesting that particles with zero charge do not engage in electrical interactions.
  • One participant compares electric charge to other fundamental properties like mass and temperature, noting that the origins of these properties are not fully understood but can be measured.
  • It is mentioned that elementary charge is measured through experiments rather than being strictly defined.
  • A later reply introduces the idea that in Gaussian units, charge is defined in terms of mass, length, and time, presenting a different perspective on its definition.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on a singular definition of electric charge, with multiple competing views and interpretations presented throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the lack of clarity on the definitions of related concepts, the dependence on specific measurement systems, and the unresolved nature of the origins of charge as a property.

waqarrashid33
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what is the actual definition of electric charge ?
 
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Wiki article:

an alternative (not yet official) definition of the coulomb. A coulomb is then equal to exactly 6.24150962915265 × 10^18 elementary charges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb
 
not of the unit of the charge but of elementry charge
 
waqarrashid33 said:
not of the unit of the charge but of elementry charge

Hi.
Force by electric field / electric field.
Regards.
 
Charge is the measure of electrical participation of matter. A particle with 0 charge does not interact directly in electrical events.
 
waqarrashid33 said:
what is the actual definition of electric charge ?

What is the actual definition of mass? What is the actual definition of temperature?

All three represent properties of materials. The origin of the properties is not known, but it is possible to measure and compare different materials based on those three (and most likely other) properties.
 
Elementary charge is measured (implicitly through experiments), not defined.
 
Fwiw, recently another member here, clem, pointed out that in Gaussian units, charge is actually defined in terms of mass, length and time, and has units of mass(in grams)^1/2 x length (in cm)^3/2 x time (in seconds)^-1.
 

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