E4: Laws of Conservation — B level

Another law of conservation is the Law of conservation of electric charge. It says:

The total electric charge in a system never changes

Electric charge is a property of some subatomic particles.

• Electrons have negative charge.
• Protons have positive charge.

This means that you can understand the law of conservation of electric charge by thinking of the law of conservation of matter. It says:

Matter cannot be created or destroyed

Play with this conservation of charge simulation

Notice how none of the electric charges is created or destroyed.

Which charges can move, and which ones stay in place?

The Law of conservation of electric charge applies in an electric circuit.

The circuit construction kit shows how electrons move around the circuit. (The positive charges are there too, but they aren’t shown because they don’t move.)

Explain how the law of conservation of electric charge is related to Kirchhoff’s Current Law. Use some example circuits to help the explanation.

Either:

A) Write your explanation, and draw the circuits that you use as examples.

B) Explain to your teacher, and use simulator circuits as examples.