point charge

American  

noun

1. an electric charge considered to exist at a single point, and thus having neither area nor volume.

---

Etymology

Origin of point charge

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

point charge

We now use the divergence theorem to justify the special case of this law in which the electrostatic field is generated by a stationary point charge at the origin.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

The nucleus has a positive charge Zqe ; thus, V = kZqe / rn , recalling an earlier equation for the potential due to a point charge.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

If the potential due to a point charge is 5.00×102 V at a distance of 15.0 m, what are the sign and magnitude of the charge?

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

The potential for a point charge is the same anywhere on an imaginary sphere of radius r surrounding the charge.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Just as zero punches a hole in the smooth sheet of general relativity, zero smooths and spreads out the sharp point charge of the electron, covering it in a fog.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife