behavior of charge

Behavior
of Charge

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Two positive charges

Two positive charges will repel one another.
They will repel each other more strongly the
closer they are to one another. Think about
two similar ends of a magnet: the closer you
bring them together, the stronger they push
each other away. It is therefore difficult to
bring two positive charges close to one
another.

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Two negative charges

Two negative charges will behave just as two
positive charges do: negative charges repel
one another, so it is difficult to bring them
close to each other.

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Opposite charges

A positive charge with a negative charge
Opposite charges are attracted to one
another. Just as opposite ends of a magnet
will pull one another closer together, a
positive charge will be drawn to a negative
charge. This attraction grows stronger the
closer the charges are to each other.
Additionally, a positive charge will cancel out
a negative charge, so the pair will produce an
overall neutral (net zero) charge.

Buildup of charge

A buildup of charge, either negative or
positive, is very unstable. The system will try
to correct this instability, sometimes violently.
Lightning is an example of a rebalancing of
charge to correct a buildup of charges from
the collisions of small ice particles in clouds.

To be stable, most matter will have an overall
neutral charge.