मराठी

Free and Bound Charges

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Estimated time: 11 minutes
Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Introduction

Every material contains electric charges, but not all charges behave the same way when an external electric field is applied. Based on their mobility, charges are classified as free charges and bound charges. This distinction explains why conductors allow current flow while insulators only get polarised.

Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Definition: Free Charges

Charges that are loosely bound to atoms/molecules and can move freely through a material when an external electric field is applied.

Example: conduction electrons in metals, ions in electrolytes.

Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Definition: Bound Charges

Charges that are tightly bound to atoms/molecules and cannot migrate through the material. They can only undergo small displacement or realignment, producing polarisation.

Example: electrons bound to atomic nuclei in a dielectric.

Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Free Charges in Conductors

  • Conductors (e.g., copper, aluminium) contain a large number of loosely bound valence/conduction electrons.
  • Under an external electric field, these electrons drift opposite to the field direction, while the fixed positive ions remain stationary.
  • This redistribution continues until the net electric field inside the conductor becomes zero — a state called electrostatic equilibrium.
  • In electrolytes, both positive and negative ions act as free charge carriers.

Real-life analogy: Free electrons behave like marbles rolling freely inside a tilted tray — they move until the tray (conductor) is "balanced" (field-free) inside.

Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Bound Charges in Insulators (Dielectrics)

  • In insulators, electrons are tightly bound to their parent atoms and cannot move across the material.
  • Under an external field, the atom's positive and negative charge centres shift slightly, creating tiny dipoles — this is called polarisation.
  • The surface charge that appears due to this alignment is called induced (bound) surface charge, denoted σb.
  • Unlike free charges, bound charges do not produce a net current.

Real-life analogy: Bound charges behave like compass needles in a magnetic field — they rotate/align in place but do not travel across the room.

CISCE: Class 12

Comparison Table: Free Charges vs. Bound Charges

Property Free Charges Bound Charges
Mobility Can move freely through the material Cannot move; only slight displacement
Found in Conductors, electrolytes Insulators/dielectrics
Response to field Drift until internal field = 0 Polarise (align) without net migration
Current production Can produce conduction current No net current produced
Examples Conduction electrons, ions in electrolyte Electrons bound to atoms/molecules
Also called Conduction charges Polarisation charges
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Formula: Net Field Inside Dielectric

E = E0 ​− Einduced​

Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12
National Testing Agency: Class 12

Key Points: Free and Bound Charges

  • Free charges → conductors → net internal field = 0.
  • Bound charges → dielectrics → polarisation, not conduction.
  • Bound charges never leave their parent atom/molecule.
  • Polarisation charge is also called induced charge.
  • Free charges are the basis of electric current; bound charges are the basis of dielectric behaviour.
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