        |
A basic property of elementary particles of matter. One does not define charge but takes it as a basic experimental quantity and defines other quantities in terms of it.
According to modern atomic theory, the nucleus of an atom has a positive charge because of its protons, and in the normal atom there are enough extra-nuclear electrons to balance the nuclear charge so that the normal atom as a whole is neutral. Generally, when the word charge is used in electricity, it means the unbalanced charge (excess or deficiency of electrons), so that physically there are enough "non-normal" atoms to account for the positive charge on a “positively charged body” or enough unneutralized electrons to account for the negative charge on a “negatively charged body.”
PREVIOUS: Electrical communications | NEXT: Electrical noise generator