sähkövarauden

Sähkövaraus is the Finnish term for electric charge. It is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Electric charge can be positive or negative. Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract. The basic unit of electric charge is the elementary charge, denoted by the symbol 'e', which is the magnitude of the charge of a single proton or electron. Protons carry a positive charge, and electrons carry a negative charge.

The SI unit of electric charge is the coulomb, symbolized by 'C'. One coulomb is equal to the charge of approximately 6.242 x 10^18 elementary charges. Electric charge is a conserved quantity, meaning that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant over time. This principle is known as the law of conservation of electric charge. When objects are rubbed together, such as a balloon and hair, charge can be transferred, leading to static electricity.

The presence and movement of electric charge are responsible for phenomena such as electric current, which is the flow of electric charge, and electric fields, which are regions of space where electric forces can be detected. Understanding electric charge is crucial in many areas of physics and engineering, including electromagnetism, electronics, and materials science.