point charge

American  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of point charge

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

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

The electric potential due to a point charge is, thus, a case we need to consider.

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

How much work is necessary to keep a positive point charge in orbit around a negative point 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