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electric charge: Quick Facts

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Sound-levitated particles reveal how static charge builds up • Oct. 28, 2026, 8:00 AM ET (Phys.org)

Facts

Also Known As electrical charge • charge

Photos

Diagram of the Millikan oil-drop experiment showing a chamber with oil droplets sprayed from an atomizer, falling between two charged metal plates. A light source and viewing microscope are used to observe the droplets, which are influenced by electric and ionizing radiation to measure their charge.
electrical charge distribution in a thunderstorm
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Key People

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George Johnstone Stoney
Irish physicist
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Charles François de Cisternay Du Fay
French chemist

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