Physics · Electric charges: conservation of charge, Coulomb's law forces between two point charges, forces between multiple charges, superposition principle and continuous charge distribution

The conservation of electric charge implies that This question has multiple corr

The conservation of electric charge implies that This question has multiple correct options

  • A. charge cannot be created
  • B. charge cannot be destroyed
  • C. the number of charged particles in the universe is constant
  • D. simultaneous creation of equal and opposite charges is permissible

Step-by-step solution

The law of conservation of electric charge states that the total electric charge in an isolated system remains constant. This directly implies that charge cannot be created from nothing; it can only be transferred or appear in equal and opposite pairs (as in pair production). While option B (charge cannot be destroyed) is also a direct implication, option A is a fundamental statement of the conservation principle. Option C is false because the number of charged particles can change (e.g., pair creation). Option D describes a permissible process consistent with conservation, but it is not an implication of conservation itself; rather, it is a consequence.
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