Electric charge Flashcards – Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Physics 0972 (Extended) (2026–2028)

What are the two types of electric charge?

Positive and negative.

How do electrostatic forces act between charges of the same sign and charges of opposite signs?

Charges of the same sign repel (push apart); charges of opposite signs attract (pull together).

What charge moves between two suitable solids when they are rubbed together?

Electrons transfer from one solid to the other; positive charges do not move between the solids.

How does gaining or losing electrons affect a solid’s charge?

Gaining electrons makes it negative; losing electrons makes it positive.

How can a plastic rod, a cloth and small pieces of paper demonstrate charging by friction?

Rub the rod with the cloth, then bring it near the paper. Attraction of the paper indicates that the rod is charged.

Why does an electroscope’s leaf rise when charge is transferred to it?

The conducting leaf and stem acquire like charges and repel each other.

What is the difference between an electrical conductor and an electrical insulator?

A conductor allows electric charge to move through it readily; an insulator does not.

In a simple electron model, how do conductors and insulators differ?

Conductors contain electrons that can move through the material; electrons in insulators are not free to move through it.

Give one typical type of electrical conductor and two typical electrical insulators.

Conductor: metals. Insulators: plastic and glass.

How can a material be tested for electrical conductivity using a cell and a lamp?

Place the material in a gap in a simple circuit containing the cell and lamp, and observe the lamp.

In a cell-and-lamp circuit, what happens when the material in the gap conducts sufficiently, and what happens when it is an insulator?

A sufficiently conducting material completes the circuit and the lamp lights. With an insulator, the lamp remains unlit.