26.2: Introduction
- Page ID
- 29265
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A material with a higher number of electrons than protons is negatively charged. A material with fewer electrons than protons is positively charged. Some materials give up electrons easily and some materials accept electrons easily, causing each object to become charged. Opposite charges attract each other while like charges repel. Any charged object may electrically attract a neutral object, if particles in the neutral object are able to rearrange themselves. Coulomb's Law can be used to calculate the electric force between two charged objects.
\[F = \dfrac{k(q1)(q2)}{d^2} \nonumber \]