Physics Concept: Quantization of Electric Charge
Question:
To say that electric charge is quantized is to say that the charge on an object:
- A) may occur in an infinite variety of quantities.
- B) is a whole-number multiple of the charge of one electron.
- C) will interact with neighboring electric charges.
- D) can be neither created nor destroyed.
Correct Answer:
Option B is correct.
Explanation: The concept of quantization of electric charge refers to the idea that electric charge exists in discrete “packets” or units.
In physics, this means that:
- Every charge observed in nature is an integer multiple of the elementary charge (denoted by
e), which is the magnitude of the charge on a single electron: e = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. - The total charge
qon any object is expressed asq = n × e, wherenis an integer (positive, negative, or zero).
Analysis of Other Options:
A) Incorrect – This implies a continuous range of possible charges, which contradicts the definition of quantization.
C) Incorrect – While charges do interact, this does not relate to the quantization concept.
D) Incorrect – This describes the conservation of charge, not its quantized nature.
Conclusion:
Quantization of charge means that electric charge is discrete, not continuous. The charge on any object must be an exact whole-number multiple of the electron’s charge. Therefore, the only correct choice is:
B) is a whole-number multiple of the charge of one electron.