Origin of Charges: Electron & Proton Charges

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the fundamental nature of electron and proton charges, establishing that an electron possesses a negative charge while a proton has a positive charge. It emphasizes the necessity of both particles for the classification of charge characteristics, suggesting that without protons, the negative charge of electrons would remain unrecognized. The conversation also touches on the concept that the electric charge of an electron is equal in magnitude to that of a proton, with the designation of positive or negative being a matter of convention.

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  • Understanding of basic atomic structure
  • Familiarity with subatomic particles (electrons and protons)
  • Knowledge of electrostatics and charge interactions
  • Concept of charge conservation in physics
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  • Explore the principles of electrostatics and Coulomb's Law
  • Study the implications of charge conventions in physics
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Students of physics, educators in atomic theory, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of charge and particle physics.

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An electron has a negative charge and a proton has a positive charge, we say. Meaning that both are opposites of each other in terms of their charges. Consider a hypothetical situation in which there are only electrons having originally negative charge in a certain universal space and we are unaware of this charge characteristic of the electron; then how would we ever know that it indeed has this kind of negative charge? Had it not been for the proton having a positive charge we could not have correctly classified them both, either ways. Therefore, which other subatomic particles of which these are composed of causes them to have charge characteristics and the subsequent electrostatic forces?
 
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As far as gravity goes, the charge of all particles is of the same sign.
 
Experiments show that in modulus the electric charge of an electron is equal to that of a proton. Which is + and which is - is a matter of convention.
 

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