Question

The electric charge on a body is always an integral multiple of 'e' where 'e' is the charge that an electron or proton carries. This concept is known as

• A. Additivity of charges
• B. Quantization of charges
• C. Conservation of charges
• D. Principle of superposition

Hint:

Remember that charge comes in discrete packets, and the smallest possible charge is the elementary charge \( e \), carried by electrons and protons.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understand the concept of quantization of charge.
The concept that the electric charge on a body is always an integral multiple of the fundamental charge (denoted as \( e \), the charge of an electron or proton) is known as the quantization of charge. This means that all charges in nature can be written as integer multiples of the elementary charge, i.e., the total charge \( Q \) on any object is \( Q = n \times e \), where \( n \) is an integer.
Step 2: Analyze the options.
Additivity of charges: This principle states that when charges combine, their total charge is the sum of the individual charges. It is not related to the quantization of charge.
Quantization of charges: This is the correct concept. The charge on any body can only be an integer multiple of the elementary charge \( e \), making it the correct answer.
Conservation of charges: This principle refers to the fact that charge can neither be created nor destroyed in an isolated system. It is different from the concept of quantization.
Principle of superposition: This principle relates to the net force or field due to multiple sources and does not deal with the quantization of charge.
Thus, the correct answer is Quantization of charges (Option 2).
Step 3: Conclusion.
The concept that the electric charge on a body is always an integral multiple of the elementary charge \( e \) is known as the quantization of charges.