Electrostatics

All objects surrounding us contain large amounts of electric charge.
There are two types of electric charge: positive charge and negative charge.
If the same amounts of negative and positive charge are brought together, they neutralise each other and there is no net charge.
Neutral objects are objects which contain positive and negative charges, but in equal numbers. However, if there is a little bit more of one type of charge than the other on the object then the object is said to be electrically charged.

The force exerted by non-moving (static) charges on each other is called the electrostatic force.
The electrostatic force between:
• like charges is repulsive
• opposite (unlike) charges is attractive.

Summery so far : There are two types of charges:

• Positive charge
• Negative charge
• Like charges repel whereas opposite charges attract.
  

Notes :

• Stationary electric charges are known as static electricity
• Electrostatics is the study of static electricity