Conservation of Charge
Definition
The conservation of charge is a fundamental principle in chemistry that states that the total electric charge in a closed system remains constant. In chemical reactions, the total positive charge must equal the total negative charge.
Analogy
Think of it like a game of tug-of-war. If there are two teams pulling on opposite sides, the total force exerted on each side should be equal for the rope to remain balanced. Similarly, in a chemical reaction, the total positive and negative charges need to balance out for everything to be stable.
Related terms
Ion: An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge.
Electronegativity: Electronegativity is a measure of how strongly an atom attracts shared electrons towards itself in a covalent bond.
Polyatomic Ion: A polyatomic ion is a charged species composed of two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.
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