point charge

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of point charge¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

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 Literature

That is much bigger than the 2.5 percentage point charge set by the FSB.

From Wall Street Journal

Both employ the inverse-square law, and whether we’re talking about electrons moving around an atomic nucleus or planets moving around the sun, we’re still dealing with spherical objects with point charge and point mass.

From Scientific American

So the point charge will pull on one side of the magnet and push on the other, creating a twisting torque -- or so Mansuripur claimed.

From Science Magazine

If the magnet is thought of as a current loop, then on one side of the loop the electric field from the point charge pushes the electrons in the direction in which they're already moving and boosts their energy.

From Science Magazine