In a closed system, the total electric charge is conserved. If the system is initially neutral, what is the total charge after any process within the system?

In a closed system, the total electric charge is conserved. If the system is initially neutral, what is the total charge after any process within the system?

• A. Positive net charge
• B. Negative net charge
• C. Zero net charge
• D. It depends on the process

Answer: (C)

Charge is conserved in a closed system, so the total net charge cannot change. Charges can move around and create local regions of positive or negative charge, but the sum over the entire system stays the same. If you start neutral, every process inside the system keeps the total at zero, since creating or removing charge would require interaction with something outside the system. Thus the total charge remains zero.

Charge is conserved in a closed system, so the total net charge cannot change. Charges can move around and create local regions of positive or negative charge, but the sum over the entire system stays the same. If you start neutral, every process inside the system keeps the total at zero, since creating or removing charge would require interaction with something outside the system. Thus the total charge remains zero.